European Dogwood or Cornel Tree
The European Dogwood, or Cornel (Cornus mas), is the carnelian cherry of our parks and gardens. Its button-like clusters of tiny yellow blossoms cover the bare branches in earliest spring, preceding even the forsythia and the spice bush. The scarlet fruits, as large as olives, make a brave show against the glossy foliage in late summer. Dogwoods of exceeding beauty come from Japan and from the Himalayas. But the average American turns from all exotic species, no matter what their charms, to his own Cornus florida, and in May votes it the most beautiful of flowering trees.