🌳Tree of the Month for April 2026

This month, we are celebrating one of Missouri’s most iconic natives, the flowering dogwood, also known as Cornus florida. A small deciduous understory tree, Cornus florida is native across much of eastern North America, from Maine to southern Ontario, Illinois to Kansas, and south to Florida, Texas, and Mexico. Typically growing 15–30’ tall and wide, it has a low-branching, broadly pyramidal form that adds beauty to any landscape. 

The “flowers” that make this tree famous aren’t true flowers at all—they’re four showy white bracts surrounding tiny, yellow-green clusters, creating the illusion of a single 3–4” bloom. Flowering in April and May, dogwoods often bloom alongside eastern redbuds, offering a spectacular spring display. Its foliage is vibrant green in summer and turns brilliant red to reddish-purple in fall, and the tree’s bark and structure provide year-round interest. 

Historically, Native Americans used flowering dogwood for medicinal purposes, carvings, and tool handles, thanks to its dense, strong wood. Ecologically, it supports butterflies, specialized bees, and provides fruit for birds and mammals like quail, foxes, deer, and black bears.

Tower Grove Park is home to over 300 flowering dogwoods across 10 varieties. Take a stroll through the arboretum and enjoy the beauty of this remarkable Missouri native throughout the seasons!