According to the story, it was the
While the dogwood tree never again took part in an execution, it's still said to carry the marks of Jesus' crucifixion. Its four large petals represent the cross he died upon, and each petal displays four red-tinged notches that are said to represent four nail holes.
Like most legends there is some debate about whether or not the legend of the dogwood is actually true. According to the website Inger.wordpress.com, the dogwood is not native to Israel. Therefore, it would not be growing during the time of the crucifixion. There is also no mention of the dogwood in the Bible.
And based on the fragments he was allowed to examine by microscope, de Fleury concluded the true cross was made of pine wood.
There is not even any mention of dogwoods in the Bible, even though the word was in use at the time the King James Version was produced in AD 1611.
flowering dogwood, Cornus florida. Cornus is from the word cornu which means “horn” and refers to the hard wood; florida is from the Latin flos, which means “flower” or “flowery” in reference to the showy flowers. Flowering dogwood is named for the showy spring flowers.
The Dogwood Tree is a beautiful and versatile ornamental tree, well adapted to life in the United States. With over 50 species within the Cornus, or Dogwood, genus, these plants range from deciduous temperate trees and evergreens to shrubs.
Acacia forest is Australia's second most common forest type after Eucalypt forest, with 10.8 million hectares or 8.2% of Australia's total native forest area. Almost 1,000 species of acacia occur in Australia, making it the nation's largest genus of flowering plants.
According to legend, St. Helena — the mother of Emperor Constantine — found the cross in Jerusalem and distributed pieces of the wood to church leaders in Jerusalem, Rome and Constantinople (present-day Istanbul in Turkey).
The piece of the True Cross held in Sainte-Chapelle was handed over to the Bishop of Paris in 1804. It was housed in the treasury of Notre-Dame Cathedral until it was moved to the Louvre following the cathedral fire in 2019.
The story continues that when Christ was crucified, His cross was made of the sturdy bark of the dogwood tree, and (as the legend goes) God both cursed and blessed the dogwood tree the day His Son died.
The dogwood's lustrous green summer leaves give way to brilliant scarlet fall foliage, and even in winter the dogwood's dark, patterned bark offers unique beauty. The dogwood is also distinguished by its broad natural range, and by being as at home in a natural forest as it is in the home landscape.
Because of its role in the crucifixion, it is said that God both cursed and blessed the tree. It was cursed to forever be small, so that it would never grow large enough again for its wood to be used as a cross for a crucifixion.
The information center at the Ministry of Tourism in Israel was contacted to find out whether dogwoods actually grow in Jerusalem, Israel, or the surrounding areas. Their reply? "No, the dogwood doesn't grow naturally in or near Israel. It is native to Europe, eastern Asia, and North America only."
The bloom petals form a cross, and the blooms have the brownish-red, rust-colored blood-like stain on the tips. It is also true that the dogwood tree is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible or mentioned as the source of wood for the cross.
Aramaic is best known as the language Jesus spoke. It is a Semitic language originating in the middle Euphrates. In 800-600 BC it spread from there to Syria and Mesopotamia. The oldest preserved inscriptions are from this period and written in Old Aramaic.
Helena, later known as Flavia Julia Helena Augusta, mother of Constantine the Great, was credited after her death with having discovered the fragments of the Cross and the tomb in which Jesus was buried at Golgotha. Helena was born at Drepanum in Bithynia, later renamed after her Helenpolis, about the year 250.
True Cross, Christian relic, reputedly the wood of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Legend relates that the True Cross was found by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land about 326.
Acacia, commonly known as wattle, is Australia's largest genus of flowering plants, with almost 1000 species present in Australia. Acacia forests also occur in all states and territories covering a total of 9.8 million hectares.
Commonly known as Wattle, Acacia is the largest genus of vascular plants in Australia. Australia's national floral emblem is Acacia pycnantha, the Golden Wattle. Wattle Day is celebrated on the 1st of September each year.
The African species that were previously called “acacia” are now grouped into two distinct genera, Vachellia and Senegalia, which are clearly separated based on a number of differences. The two most obvious differences are found in their thorns and their flowers.
Jacksonia scoparia, commonly known as dogwood (from its strong odour when burning), is a native species of a pea-flowered, greyish, leafless, broom-like shrub or small tree that occurs in the south east of Queensland, Australia and eastern New South Wales.
Dogwood. Jacksonia scoparia R.Br. ex Sm. Jacksonia are pea-flowered shrubs or small trees found wild only in Australia, mainly in the west.
Dogwoods are deciduous trees descending from the Cornus genus and the Cornaceae plant family. They often sprout white, yellow, or pink flowers alongside vibrant green foliage. Dogwood trees vary in height and width—some grow upward of fifteen feet, while others look more like small trees or large shrubs.