Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida f. rubra)
Cornus florida f. rubra (Flowering Dogwood) is a shrub appreciated by their flowers. They have four showy bracts white in the middle and white-pink in the border. The flowers appear in the end of Spring and are followed by red fruits.
Plant profile
Common name: Flowering DogwoodScientific name: Cornus florida f. rubra
Plant type: Shrubs
Habit: Bushy
Height: 3m - 8m
Spread: 3m - 8m
Foliage: Deciduous
Foliage color: Green (spring), Green (summer), Purple (autumn), Red (autumn)
Flower color: Pink, White
Season of interest: Autumn, Spring
Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial shade
Soil: Clay, Loam
Moisture: Moist but well drained
Garden type: Architectural, Informal Garden
Planting type: Flower borders and bedding, Low Maintenance
What does the f. in the scientific name mean?
Cornus florida f. rubra
Jim Cortese
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Hi Jim,
Thank you for the question. That was a good one.
The f. in scientific name of “Cornus florida f. rubra” means form (forma in latin). In botanical nomenclature, a form (forma, plural formae) is one of the “secondary” taxonomic ranks, below the variety, which in turn is below the species.
I’m not an expert in botanic names, but for reference, please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_(botany)
Regards