You found the Flowering Dogwood!
One of 15 trees in the PBIO Tree Hunt.
Cornus florida — 🤯 Those famous white dogwood “petals” aren’t petals at all—they are modified leaves surrounding the tiny true flowers. Mature trees also develop alligator-like bark.
Where it grows: look for it in the natural woods around campus — The Ridges, Baker Preserve, and Strouds Run — typically in the shaded understory and along forest edges.
Claim your find: snap a photo with your magnet and post it publicly. Tag us — @PBIO_OhioU on X or Environmental and Plant Biology at Ohio University on LinkedIn — and add #PBIOTreeHunt. The magnet is yours to keep! Brought to you by OHIO Environmental and Plant Biology — https://www.ohio.edu/cas/plant-biology