Tennessee Living

When clouds of white dogwood blossoms fill the forests, Tennesseans know for sure that spring has sprung.

This graceful hardwood is the official tree of Memphis, and it’s the inspiration behind the Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxille, the International Dogwood Festival in Winchester and several other dogwood-themed events throughout the state.

The climate and soil in East Tennessee are just right for the dogwood, and the elegant trees grow tall and bloom abundantly with blossoms averaging 4 inches in length. Many rival Maryland’s dogwoods, which are said to be the nation’s largest.

Native white dogwoods, weeping dogwoods, wild pink dogwoods and pink dogwoods with a deep, almost-red color – caused by the Knoxville area’s naturally acidic
soil - can be seen along the nationally recognized scenic dogwood trails that cover more than 70 miles throughout Knox County and Oak Ridge.

Franklin County, where dogwoods are commercially grown in spades, claims to have developed and named more new dogwood varieties than anywhere else in the world.

The dogwood gets noticed for its beauty, but it also has quite a history and some fascinating folklore, according to the UT Agricultural Extension service.

* The name “dogwood” reportedly originated in Europe, where the bark of one of the European species was boiled in water and used to wash dogs suffering from mange. Another source says the wood was used as a meat skewer, called a “dag” – hence, “dagwood,” or dogwood.

* The heavy, hard wood is used in golf clubs, as wedges for splitting logs, and in making shuttles for weaving.

* Before quinine came into general use, dogwood bark was one of many barks used as a fever medicine.

* Legend has it that the dogwood tree was used to make the cross for Jesus. The story goes that Jesus proclaimed the tree would never again grow large enough to be used for that purpose. The bracts of the dogwood flower are said to resemble the shape of the cross and bear nail marks of the crucifixion.

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Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Summer 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
Dogwood: Harbinger of Spring

Summary:
When clouds of white dogwood blossoms fill the forests, Tennesseans know for sure that spring has sprung.

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