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Flowering dogwood

Classification:

Family: Cornaceae, dogwood family
Genus, species: Cornus florida

Leaves:
Leaves are egg-shaped with smooth edges. All leaf veins are parallel to leaf edges.

Bark:
Bark is gray or light brown, broken into small blocks, looks like alligator skin.

Flowers:
Flowers are small and inconspicuous. The showy white "petals" are bracts (expanded bud scales) and are not technically part of the flower. Some cultivated varieties have pink bracts.

Fruit:
Fruits are clusters of green berries, ripen to bright red in autumn.

Twigs:
Twigs are slender, gray.

More Information:

The genus name, Cornus, is from the Latin for "horn-like" or "horny."  The species name, florida, is not for the state of Florida, but is from the Latin for "flowery" or "florid."  

Photos: