Not sure about how it got the name Dogwood, but the history I read
mentioned that the settlers called it "maulwood" because the wood is
so hard, they made mauls out of it. I can attest to the wood being
hard as rocks - when the big dogwood came down in our back yard one
winter, we decided to have it cut up to use in making miniature
dollhouse peices. It was a flaming pain to work with because it was
so hard but, boy, did it make beautiful furniture (including a
miniature Wooten desk!)


On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 23:53:51 -0500, "B & J"
wrote:

I did a Google search and came up with the following information about the
name "dogwood."
I'd give the address of the site, but the computer has suddenly developed a
stomach ache.

The Dogwood Legend
According to legend, the dogwood once grew as tall and mighty as the oak.
For that reason, it was chosen as the tree on which Jesus Christ was
crucified. As the legend goes, the dogwood, forever ashamed of its duty,
begged Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus took pity on the poor tree and decided
that forevermore the dogwood would be slender and twisted so that its wood
could never again be used for a cross. He also shaped the dogwood's blossoms
into the form of a cross. In the center of each bloom is a crown of thorns,
and on each of its petals are nail prints stained with red.

As for how the dogwood got its name, one explanation is that dog owners once
made a tonic from the bark to wash their pets. A more likely derivation
comes from the Old English term doggerwood, meaning "a stick once used to
skewer meats."

I knew about the legend, but does anyone know any other logical explanation
for the name?

John