It’s just the very beginning of the Chinese dogwood’s blooming journey, and while I usually wait until these have turned a whiter shade of pale, we need the glimpse of cheer now. This is one of my favorite trees, providing all the beauty of the American dogwood, but only once all the leaves have emerged. It also extends the season for another few weeks, making it ideal for the entry of summer.
The actual flowers are still in tight bud – what we are seeing as the ‘petals’ are technically bracts. The real flowers are small and insignificant, but they’re the ones who will produce the raspberry-like fruit later in the season. (Sadly, they’re raspberry-like only in appearance, not taste or texture.) For now, the show has just begun…
