Trees to look for in January — Dogwood
Photo credit: Tamsin Bent
Where to look
It is mainly found in hedges and on the edges of woodland. It grows best on calcareous (chalky) soils.
Description
Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a native shrub. In the spring it has clusters of creamy flowers and in the autumn small black berries (sometimes called ‘dogberries’) and bright red leaves. Its insect pollinated flowers are hermaphrodites (made up of both male and female parts).
However, dogwood is best known for its brightly coloured bark in winter. The bark on the new growth stems is red but only on the stems which are in sunlight. Those in the shade are green! Bark’s job is similar to that of our skin. It protects the tree from the weather, making sure that it doesn’t get scorched from the sun or dried out by the wind and keeps animals and fungi away from the sugary sap underneath.
It’s thought that its name has nothing to do with dogs but is from the word ‘dag’ which means skewer or spike because it was used by butchers for skewering meat!
Spottings
“Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs”
Ilse
“Spotted by ilse”
class 4
Year 6
class 4
Ethan
CasparB
Stanley
“It is red and pretty”
Gavin
“Spotted on a lovely sunny walk today.”
Tamsin
Jo
Ella
Gavin
“Spotted in Treglines, Cornwall.”
Tamsin Bent
Ilse L
“I saw some more dogwood today”
Edie L
“I saw this on my way to school”
Where we've found Dogwood
Dogwood spottings journal (22 seen)
| Last seen | Location | Spotted by | Group | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Mar 2024 | Rodborough | Leafgatherers | Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs | |
| 31 Jan 2024 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 7 Jan 2024 | Spillmans | Ilse | Leafgatherers | Spotted by ilse |
| 22 Mar 2023 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 15 Mar 2022 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 31 Jan 2022 | conservation area | class 4 | Foxmoor Primary | |
| 28 Jan 2022 | Year 6 | Foxmoor Primary | ||
| 17 Jan 2022 | class 4 | Foxmoor Primary | ||
| 14 Jan 2022 | Selsley | Ethan | Foxmoor Primary | |
| 4 Feb 2021 | CasparB | Caspar B | ||
| 1 Feb 2021 | Front garden | Stanley | Brimacombes | It is red and pretty |
| 23 Jan 2021 | Stroud | Gavin | Blended | Spotted on a lovely sunny walk today. |
| 11 Jan 2021 | Stratford Park | Tamsin | Stroud Valleys Project | |
| 7 Apr 2020 | Garden | Jo | The Weaver's | |
| 30 Mar 2020 | Ceplsmmil and gardn | Ella | The Weaver's | |
| 24 Mar 2020 | Treglines, Cornwall. | Gavin | Blended | Spotted in Treglines, Cornwall. |
| 12 Mar 2020 | Blended | |||
| 12 Mar 2020 | Blended | |||
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tamsin Bent | Stroud Valleys Project | ||
| 8 Jan 2020 | Ilse L | Leafgatherers | I saw some more dogwood today | |
| 7 Jan 2020 | Edie L | Leafgatherers | I saw this on my way to school | |
| 6 Jan 2020 | Buckley-Nolans |
← OTHER THINGS TO LOOK FOR THIS MONTH
