The best way to tell a dogwood from other trees is by its bark.

Now you may think that's just another silly pun, but it's true. A dogwood may have white flowers in the spring, green leaves in the summer, and red berries in the fall, but you can identify them at any time of the year by their distinctive checkered bark.

Another dogwood fact:
A couple of generations ago, the wood of choice for wooden legs was dogwood. Now they use stainless steel and plastic.

And a dogwood goof:
I was reading in a travel magazine the other day about camping along the Natchez Trace. The author of the article stated that he and his wife made the trip "in the fall when the dogwood was in full bloom." I've lived in dogwood country most of my life and at present, my yard has too many dogwood trees to count. So trust me when I say that the only time dogwood trees are in full bloom is spring. Yes, there are times when a few blooms get mixed up and pop out in the fall, but usually just a few. Certainly nothing that you could call "full bloom." I'm still wondering when that author was on the Trace.

Doggoneit, I'm rambling again.
Howard