Love Affair with Dogwoods

"Our" Dogwood Tree- Easter Weekend 2009

I have always had a slight love affair with Dogwoods. I remember in the 6th grade, one of my independent study projects was a book with pressed flowers in it. My mom and I drove around town looking for the perfect Dogwood in bloom to pick just one flower from for my book. Then 4 years ago this month, Brent and I were house shopping and we stumbled into a small cul-de-sac with a beautiful white Dogwood in full bloom in the center of the circle and directly behind it was a house for sale. I think that was one of the major reasons I fell in love with our current home! Now every year, "our" beautiful white Dogwood celebrates Easter weekend in full bloom with us. How could I have just this year learned of the legend of the Dogwood tree??!?!?!?

The Dogwood tree is also the subject of an old Christian legend. According to the old stories, the Dogwood tree used to grow large and tall. It was compared in size and shape to an oak tree. At the time of the Crucifixion, it was said that wood from the Dogwood tree was selected to fashion the cross. This distressed and saddened the Dogwood tree so much that Jesus took pity on the tree, and promised that Dogwood trees will never again grow large enough to use the wood for a cross. It will be twisted and bent. The four petals of the flowers will form the shape of a cross, with two long petals and two short ones. In the center of each petal edge, a rusty nail mark will be cut, the bracts in the center will resemble a crown of thorns, with blood-red berries the result.

May any beautiful Dogwood Tree that crosses your path this Easter remind you of the beautiful grace bought on a cross by our Savior Jesus.