Flowering Dogwood Bracts

April 7, 2026

Providing protection as the flowers are developing in late winter and early spring, what appear to be petals on blossoms of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) are modified leaves called bracts.

The actual tiny flowers, in a shade of soft yellow green, are at the center of the four bracts, each one complete with stamens and pistils, the male and female parts of the flowers. And with the help of pollinators, will develop bright red berries in autumn.

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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.