Eastern Flowering Dogwood **(Cornus florida)**

Status in Canada: Endangered

Status in Ontario: Endangered

Status at SWCR: Occasional and Rare at both tracts

Eastern Flowering Dogwood is a small understory tree that produces clusters of showy white flowers in spring.

Quick Facts:

It occurs only in the Carolinian Forest Zone of southwestern Ontario.
Because of their flowers, it is commonly used as an ornamental tree in gardens and parks.
It can be found along the borders of woodlands and in sunny openings within Carolinian forests.

Threats at the St. Williams Conservation Reserve:

Dogwood Anthracnose Fungus: an invasive fungal infection that has drastically reduced populations in Ontario.

Forest Succession: Succession increases shading and reduces habitat suitability for dogwoods, often associated with long-term fire suppression in Ontario woodlands.

Activities that can damage critical Eastern Flowering Dogwood habitat include:

Vegetation management activities that can crush or destroy plants, herbicide use to control invasive plants, conifer plantation thinning.
Off-trail recreational activities that can trample plants, or remove them from their habitat, such as trampling, crushing under vehicles, and collecting.

St. Williams Conservation Reserve management practices:

Population monitoring
Forest thinning activities
Enforcement of unauthorized trail use
Prescribed burns

What you can do to help:

Follow the code of conduct for recreational activities in the Conservation Reserve and know and respect the current trail-use regulations.
Report unauthorized trail use or any illegal activity related to plants and wildlife to 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667).