Flowering dogwood is a small understory tree with showy blossoms and attractive fall foliage, making it a popular ornamental within landscapes and street plantings. Its leaves decompose more rapidly than other species which helps improve the soil. The timber of this tree is hard, strong, and shock resistant allowing it to be used for wood products that need to withstand rough use, however past over-harvesting and its intolerance to heat, drought, pollution, and salt has caused this tree to be labeled as exploitably vulnerable in our state. Wildlife use flowering dogwood for shelter as well as food. The seeds are eaten by at least 36 different species of birds, small mammals, gray fox, black bear, white-tailed deer, and skunk. The leaves and young sprouts are also consumed by beaver, rabbits, and deer.