It was sometimes used as a substitute when Peruvian bark could not be obtained. Dogwood Tree Spiritual Meanings & Metaphysical Correspondences. However, First Nations people used the flowering dogwood seed for medicinal purposes and its fine-grained wood for carving and making tools. Edible parts of Flowering Dogwood: Fruit - cooked. First cultivated in 1731, dogwood trees are among some of the prettiest trees used in landscaping today. donors@natureconservancy.ca Fall flowering dogwood (Photo by Bernt Solymar), Supported by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, Nature Conservancy of Canada Cornus kousa of Japan and Korea is also often used as a garden tree; the clusters of flowers and the brilliant red leaves in … Medicinal Trees Dogwood (Cornus ) bark is used for ever, pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, hemoroids, colic, ringworms By Liliana Usvat Blog 188-365 Dogwood (Cornus ) ... Other Uses The flowers of the plant can either be eaten raw or used in the making of syrups, brandy or marmalade. Aboriginal people also used red osier dogwood: the bark was smoked in pipes or used to make red dye and the branches were used to make baskets. Medicinal use of Red Osier Dogwood: Red osier dogwood was widely employed by several native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its astringent and tonic bark, using it both internally and externally to treat diarrhoea, fevers, skin problems etc. Flowering Dogwood. There is a Christian legend that claims that the cross that was used for crucifixion of Jesus Christ was made of the flowering dogwood tree. Uses Ethnobotanic: Flowering dogwood root bark was used by Native Americans as a fever reducer, skin astringent, an antidiarrheal agent, and as a pain reliever for headaches, sores, and muscle inflammations. The American Indians extracted from the twigs and roots of this and other species a scarlet coloring matter for dyeing purposes. Flowering Dogwood blooms (Photo by Bernt Solymar). Comments: Dogwood has excellent shock resistance, and is one of the hardest domestic woods of the United States or Canada. Used for diarrhea. The Kentucky champion tree is in Warren County and is about 35 feet tall. Medicinal and cultural uses of flowering dogwood. Dial 1-800-973-8959 for fast growing evergreen trees, shade trees, flowering trees and fruit trees. Medicinal uses. Our tallest native dogwood can look like a 6 foot (1.8 m) shrub or a 20 foot (6.1 m) small tree. When the seed is removed and the flesh is ... Other uses of the herb: Propagation of Flowering Dogwood: Cultivation of the herb: Known hazards of Cornus florida: The fruit is not poisonous, but is almost inedible raw. Widely cultivated as an ornamental tree. The true flowers are in the yellow center, surrounded by four white bracts 3 to 4 inches across. American dogwood bark is still used today as medicine, but not very often. Location: Dogwood bark is best used as an ointment for ague, malaria (substitute for quinine), fever, pneumonia, colds, and similar complaints. Flowering dogwood was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its astringent and antiperiodic properties. However, First Nations people used the flowering dogwood seed for medicinal purposes and its fine-grained wood for carving and making tools. C. florida (eastern flowering dogwood) and C. nuttallii (western flowering dogwood) are especially popular trees in North America. The Jamaican Dogwood also has limited usefulness as a medicinal treatment for migraines and blood pressure conditions. Indians and Southern soldiers during the Civil War used the bark to make a tea to treat pain, reduce fevers, and increase appetite. It is said that the berries, boiled and pressed, yield a limpid oil. Root-bark tea or tincture widely used for malaria and diarrhea throughout South during the Civil War. Various species of dogwoods have been used worldwide for a variety of medicinal uses, including as a substitute for quinine in treating fevers. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from September to November. Twigs chewed for cleaning teeth. There has not been a lot written about the uses of dogwood for magic. Twigs used as chewing sticks, forerunners of the toothpick. Large pink or white bracts support the true flowers. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Flowering Dogwood – Not Edible Flowering Dogwood Berries. Dogwoods were also valued for their healing properties — bunchberry for cold and colic remedies; pagoda dogwood for treating sore eyes; and red osier dogwood for treating ailments relating to digestion, eyes, and fever. The dried root-bark is antiperiodic, astringent, diaphoretic, mildly stimulant and tonic [4, 46, 61, 95, 257]. More than 50 different species of birds feed on the bright red berries of the flowering dogwood, making it a very important wildlife tree. It is little used in modern herbalism. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---Before Europeans discovered America, the Red Indianswere using the bark in the same way as Peruvian bark. Description.—The bark of the stem, branches, and roots, is the medicinal part. This ancient herbal knowledge is still being used by many doctors for curing health issues. Dogwood bark was indeed included in one of the earliest and most common replacement for quinine, a compound tincture prepared with 40% willow bark, 30% poplar bark, and 30% dogwood bark soaked in whisky for two weeks. Also used as a poultice for external sores and ulcers. Dogwood has … Flowers April-June, fruits August-November. Cornus sericea (Red osier dogwood) Mainly a higher mountain shrub in the West, Red osier gets little medicinal attention these days…even in the past it was a folk medicine of folk medicines. The showy part is actually a leaf-like bract under the tiny flowers. The pink or white “flowers” (actually flower heads—the petal-like bracts surround a tight cluster of tiny, green flowers) are large and lovely in the late spring. Flowering dogwood trees have long been used for many different medical treatments, making this a perfect medicinal plant. Ranges from southern Maine to northern Florida and west to Kansas. Visit our FAQ page. Long ago, when Allopathy was not a part of medical science, plants were the major source of medicine used for almost all types of health issues. It closely resembles the North American native, flowering dogwood ( Cornus florida) , but is less vulnerable to disease. Traditional use of medicinal plants in the boreal forest of Canada: review and perspectives. Backus Woods Addition, Southern Norfolk Sand Plain, ON (Photo by NCC), Flowering dogwood (Photo by Bernt Solymar). Suite 410 Flowering dogwood is recognized by most people for its spring floral display that can be white or pink. Twigs and branchlets sometimes green or dark purple. It is a common understory tree in wooded areas throughout the state. Small bitter red fruits also clustered. Clusters of creamy white flowers … American and Asian varieties don’t offer the same medicinal benefits and more safety hazards, so check the variety of Dogwood before buying an herbal supplement. Indicator species are plants or animals whose presence indicates an environmental condition, habitat type, and so on. The genus Cornus consists of about 30-60 species throughout temperate zones of the world (depending on who you ask) of small trees and shrubs. The whitish 4-petaled flowers develop in flat-topped cymes at branch ends. Twigs. According to Albert Constantine Jr. in the book Know Your Woods, essence of dogwood is still used in whiskey as a Southern "home remedy." Flowering Dogwood(Cornus florida) is one of the two most common ornamental species of dogwood tree, the other is Kousa Dogwood. However, it’s also got one very powerful medicinal use, and many of us in the South owe our lives to it as a result. In turn, these seed-eating birds help spread the flowering dogwood across the landscape. Description: Apart from this, the bark of the dogwood is used to treat mange, and the tea made from the flowers helps in reducing a fever. Also used as a poultice for external sores and ulcers. The action of the Dogwood flowers is close to Chamomile for their soothing, tonic, and adaptability to weakened and debilitated conditions of the stomach. Root-bark tea or tincture widely used for malaria and diarrhea throughout South during the Civil War. Despite being an important food source for wildlife, the seeds of the flowering dogwood are poisonous to humans. Cornus asperifolia drummondii is a deciduous Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft 1in) at a fast rate. Each plant has a corresponding file with Latin name, botanical family, growth habit, vernacular names (English, French, Aboriginal), parts used, and medicinal uses. Trees perfect for your area. Common Uses: Golf club heads, textile shuttles, bows (archery), mallets, pulleys, and turned objects. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Hardy enough to survive most winter conditions, this perennial plant … Family Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America and northern Mexico.An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal Maine south to northern Florida and west to the Mississippi River. Questions about your donation? It was also used to counteract the effects of many poisons and as a general tonic for unspecified ailments. Cornaceae. An ounce of this concoction was administered to patients three times a day as a tonic and fever reducer. A branch would make an excellent Air wand, and small shards of wood could be ground and added to air-oriented incense blends. Cornus is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Fruit oil from the blood twigged dogwood tree, is used in making soaps. Berries soaked in brandy for heart burn and upset stomach. An understory tree 3-9.15m (10-30 ft) tall with flowers in clusters. Back to Top It is one of the most underrated shrubs, whether native or non-native. You are using an outdated browser that is no longer supported by Ontario.ca. Toronto, Ontario, Canada  M4P 3J1, nature@natureconservancy.ca Despite being an important food source for wildlife, the seeds of the flowering dogwood are poisonous to humans. It’s also often called Japanese dogwood, Chinese dogwood, or Korean dogwood. In turn, these seed-eating birds help spread the flowering dogwood across the landscape. How to use it: Flowering dogwood works well as an understory tree in a woodland or native garden. Flowering Dogwood Medicinal use. Bark That from the root is the best. Dogwood bark was used considerably during the American Revolution as a substitute for Peruvian bark. Their beautiful white flowers give off a lacy appearance, though some varieties have pink flowers. It was also used to treat mange in dogs, to treat malaria, and even to function as a laxative. The Carolinian Canada zone is the only area in Canada where the flowering dogwood grows, making it a Carolinian Canada indicator species. Twigs chewed for cleaning teeth. This species is native to the eastern United States, It grows well in woodlands as well as landscapes. Special Occasions for the Dogwood Flowers Berries soaked in brandy for heart burn and upset stomach. The fruit is an oval drupe of a glossy scarlet colour, containing a nut with two cells and two seeds, which the birds are very fond of. Externally, poulticed onto external ulcers and sores. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Leaves, 5-12.5cm (2-5in), simple, ovate, non-toothed, and opposite. 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