CORNUS is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. DOGWOOD is the common name for this genus, which includes shrubs and trees that are native throughout much of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The most familiar species is the Common DOGWOOD, Cornus sanguinea, which is native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It is a deciduous small tree or multi-stemmed shrub, typically growing 6–15 m tall, with opposite, simple oval leaves and clusters of small white flowers in the late spring.