The dogwood trees have started blooming in Greensboro. In our area, this tends to happen at the end of march. The flowers you see are in the middle, the protruding green balls. The four petallike structures are actually bracts, modified leaves, of sorts. They can bloom from 2-4 weeks and dogwoods, and dogwoods combined with azaleas are an iconic part of the Greensboro landscape.

Dogwoods are native to the Piedmont region of North Carolina. They like being an understory tree with morning sun and afternoon shade. The Kousa dogwood is a little hardier and grows well here, too. Be on the lookout. Sometimes, there are regional initiatives where saplings are given out. With all of the ongoing development in the Greensboro area, every native tree– from hardwoods to conifers– in the ground helps serve as wildlife habitat. On the day our dogwood tree started blooming, the Merlin Bird ID app identified 14 different birds in our yard! Try the free app and identify the feathered friends in your yard.

Happy Friday!