Wood Species Guide
Dogwood
Cornus florida
Also called: Flowering Dogwood, American Dogwood, Florida Dogwood, Cornel
About the name “Dogwood”
The name dogwood covers several Cornus trees and shrubs. This page is flowering dogwood, the small native tree with white spring blooms that grows across the eastern US and into north and central Florida. Older books sometimes call dogwood "boxwood", which is a different wood; see our Boxwood page.
What Dogwood looks like
Almost all of the usable wood is sapwood, a pale cream to pinkish tan. Any heartwood is small and a darker chocolate brown. Some pieces carry gray or brown streaks from the center.
Grain and texture
Fine, very even texture with grain that is straight to a bit irregular. It feels slick and dense once sanded.
Working Dogwood: planing, cutting and gluing
Hard and heavy for its size, so cut slowly and keep edges sharp. It turns crisply and holds fine detail. Small logs check and split easily as they dry, so seal the ends right after cutting. Pre-drill for screws.
Finishing Dogwood: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Sands to a high polish and takes oil, wax or a film finish well. The tight grain needs little prep, and it gives epoxy almost no air to push out, so a pour or inlay goes in clean.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Not rot resistant, and the pale sapwood attracts insects, so keep it indoors. It moves a fair amount while drying. In Florida, dry blanks slowly in the AC and finish all faces.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Dogwood is a small-piece wood: think mallets, tool handles, spindles and turning blanks, not tabletops. When a yard dogwood comes down in north or central Florida, cut it to blank lengths and seal the ends the same day to save it from cracks. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it or point you to a local turner.
Common uses for Dogwood
Turned objects, mallets, tool handles, golf club heads (historically), textile shuttles, archery bows and small carvings.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List. Wild trees have been thinned in places by dogwood anthracnose, a fungal disease, but the species is still common.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reports. Nothing beyond ordinary dust irritation is documented for dogwood.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Good choice for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
No reactions beyond ordinary wood dust irritation have been reported. Use dust collection and a mask when sanding.
Dogwood in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Dogwood listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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