Common Dogwood

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iCommon Dogwood
Common Dogwood fruit
Common Dogwood fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cornales
Family: Cornaceae
Genus: Cornus
Subgenus: Swida
Species: C. sanguinea
Binomial name
Cornus sanguinea
L.

The Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea, syn. Swida sanguinea) is a species of dogwood native to most of Europe and western Asia, occurring north to southern England and southern Scandinavia, and east to the Caspian Sea.

It is a medium to large deciduous shrub, growing 2-6 m tall, with dark greenish-brown branches and twigs. The leaves are opposite, 4-8 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin; they are green above, slightly paler below, and rough with short stiff pubescence. The flowers are small (5-10 mm diameter), with four creamy white petals, produced in clusters 3-5 cm diameter. The fruit is a globose black berry 5-8 mm diameter, containing a single seed.

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