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Glite Dictionary
Cornus florida

Cornus florida

9.2
A tree that loses its leaves in winter with showy white or pink flowers and red berries
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : cornis florida
  • The Cornus florida blooms beautifully in spring.

Examples

  • Gardeners prize Cornus florida for its brilliant red berries and autumn foliage.

  • Many parks in the eastern United States feature Cornus florida as a landscape highlight.

  • The Cornus florida in our yard bursts into white blossoms every spring.

  • Many gardeners prefer Cornus florida for its stunning flowers.

  • The Cornus florida tree blooms beautifully in the spring, attracting many visitors to the park.

  • In autumn, the leaves of the Cornus florida turn vibrant shades of red and orange, adding color to the landscape.

  • Birds enjoy the red berries produced by the Cornus florida, making it a popular choice for wildlife gardens.

Synonyms

eastern flowering dogwood
vsCornus florida
  • US
8.2

A small tree from eastern North America with showy white or pink spring flowers and red fall berries

is the formal species name rather than a general common name
common white dogwood
vsCornus florida
4.5

A small tree with large white or pink flowers and red berries

is the formal species name rather than a general common name

Surface Forms

Cornus florida singular
Cornus floridas plural

Morphology

Cornus + florida

This is a Latin taxonomic binomial (genus + specific epithet) where the parts function as proper names; the provided constituent definitions do not give a clear, common-English meaning (’florida’ is not defined here). Although 'florida' ultimately derives from a Latin root meaning 'flowery', that classical-linguistic knowledge is specialized, so a B1 learner who only knows the listed constituents would not reliably derive 'flowering dogwood'.

Etymology

Cornus florida comes from Latin words used by early plant experts; Cornus was the old name for the dogwood and florida means 'full of flowers'. So the name paints a simple picture — a dogwood tree covered in showy blooms, which is why we call it the 'flowering dogwood' today.