It's time once again for Dogwood Trees to bloom. They are absolutely beautiful with the other blooming flowers in east Texas. Dogwood trees always seem so fragile and delicate to me. Actually, they are one of the strongest hard wood trees around here. In pioneer days, they used them for a lot of household purposes. I can remember my Grandmother reminicing about her mother using the branches for a broom in the house to keep the sand fresh.
There is a legend of the Dogwood Tree in Christianity. It states that the Roman soldiers used the trees to make the crosses for the crucifictions, at that time they grew tall and stately. When Jesus was crucified, He felt the shame and humiliation of the tree. He told the trees that they would now grow short and gnarled so that the soldiers would not use them for that terrible purpose again.
Now days, Dogwood Trees are one of the most widely used in landscaping design. With their small stature and abundant blooms, they add height to an outdoor arrangement. They generally grow to a height of 20-30 feet over many many years. A typical lifespan is about 30 years. At that time, the bark is usually gnarled and the blooms are sparse. They like to be in the shadows of the larger oaks and other trees. Dogwoods are easy to grow, requiring little maintenance. They always treat their owners with a beautiful display of blooms in early spring. I have two white and one pink in my yard, and my neighbor has a pink. This time of year with the other blooming plants, the dogwoods add much character to the yard. I'm always excited in spring to check my trees and see if the blooms are getting ready. I'm not much of a winter person, so when I see the first signs of spring it's exciting. Take a drive down Paluxy and see all the Dogwood Trees blooming on either side of the road. They are beautiful!