An Abundance Of Dogwood Berries!

November 2, 2025

A Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) lush with crimson drupes. Fewer today than there were just a week ago, since they are quite popular with countless birds. The leaves too, were brilliant in their color, then the wind came along this past Thursday and Friday, Halloween Day, blowing nearly all of the leaves away.

I notice a rhythm of production of berries, or drupes, on this Dogwood in particular since it is easy to see from the kitchen and dining room windows. The tree takes turns producing numerous berries one year and the next a meager number. This is normal for Flowering Dogwoods, but there are always environmental factors influencing this cycle.

Wondering how long the drupes will last. Robins (Turdus migratorius) that send out word to other Robins, when there is a particular abundance of their favorite foods, have already telegraphed word to their family and friends.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.