Cornus nuttallii aka Pacific Dogwood

Cornus nuttallii, also known as the Pacific dogwood, western dogwood, or mountain dogwood, is a species of dogwood tree native to western North America. It is a vigorous tree that can grow up to 7.5m in height with upward branches. The leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, and dark-green, turning deep red in autumn. The tree produces large star-shaped flowers with white bracts that surround a greenish-yellow center. These flowers, which can reach up to 15cm in diameter, are followed by small fleshy red berries with blue-black tips. This species of dogwood is found in various regions, ranging from the lowlands of southern British Columbia to the mountains of southern California, with a population in central Idaho. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree that can reach heights of 10-25m. The leaves are oval-shaped and grow up to 8-12cm long and 5-8cm broad. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, with a greenish-white flowerhead that is 2cm in diameter. The "petals" of the flower are actually bracts, each measuring 4-7cm long and broad. The fruit of the tree is a compound pink-red berry, about 3cm in diameter, containing numerous small seeds. Although edible, the fruit is not very palatable. It is consumed by band-tailed pigeons. Similar to Cornus florida, Cornus nuttallii is highly susceptible to dogwood anthracnose, a disease caused by the fungus Discula destructiva. This disease has resulted in the death of many larger Pacific dogwood plants in the wild and has also limited its use as an ornamental tree. The species is named after Thomas Nuttall, an English botanist and zoologist who worked in North America during the nineteenth century. Historically, some Plateau Indian tribes used the bark of Cornus nuttallii as a laxative and emetic. The tree has been the provincial flower of British Columbia since 1956, and it was once protected by law in the province along with Rhododendron macrophyllum and Trillium ovatum. However, this protection was repealed in 2002.