Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, is probably the most widely-planted spring-flowering tree in the eastern half of North America. It will grow anywhere it can get a moderate amount of rainfall, but its native habitat is that of an understory tree in hard-wood forests where there is a well drained, evenly moist soil. You can find the native stands in the hilly woods of eastern and south-eastern Oklahoma, mostly all of them white, with a few accent trees standing out in various shades of pink.
This year Holy Week has fallen right in the middle of peak dogwood bloom here in Oklahoma. There is a legend which claims that the cross of Christ was made of timbers from the dogwood tree. The story goes that at the time dogwoods were as large and stately as any oak, but after the crucifixion Christ saw to it that the dogwood would never grow so large as to be able to be used for such purposes again. He also changed the appearance of the white blossom to resemble a cross, and gave the ends of each petal a rusty notch, representing Christ’s pierced hands and feet, and bleeding head. The center stamens and pistils also are suppose to represent Christ’s crown of thorns. Even though there are a number of European and Asian species of dogwood, the story is most surely only a legend. To begin with, Palestine is way too arid to support the dogwood’s growth. One has to admit, the dog wood blossom does make an able symbol to remind us of the death of our Lord.
This little specimin, only in its second season, grows on the west side of our house. Like the cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornus mas, that featured a few weeks back, this dogwood also was planted to celebrate the marriage of one of our three children. I was commenting to my wife the other day that we didn’t have a white-blooming specimen in our landscape. The rusty-red notches are very prominent against the pure whiteness of the blossom. We will have to look for one soon. Hay kids, next year is our 35th. Maybe you guys could go together and….
Try to find a Good Friday service today where ever you happen to be. If you are near Tulsa, come worship with us. Good Friday puts Our Lord’s resurrection in perspective. He is risen. He is risen, indeed.
