Simons, Donnell
About Donnell Simons
Landscape Services and Arboretum and Botanical Garden staff gathered on Friday, December 6th, 2019 to celebrate the life of coworker Donnell Simons, who recently passed away. A 'Cloud Nine' Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida 'Cloud Nine') was planted in his honor as a dedicated memorial tree, northwest of Shoemaker Hall. Donnell was a valued member of the staff and will be missed.
About the Flowering Dogwood
The dogwood dedicated to Donnell Simons is located northwest of Shoemaker Hall. It is a Cornus florida ‘Cloud Nine’, commonly known as a flowering dogwood. It is native to a large area of North America, including Maine to southern Ontario, Illinois to Kansas, and Florida to Texas and Mexico.1 The flowering dogwood can grow to a height of 15’ with a spread of 10’, growing in a rounded shape. In the spring, this dogwood produces an abundance of large, overlapping, white blooms that surround the true, yellow flower in the middle. In the summer, the tree has dark green, oval-shaped leaves that then turn red-purple in the fall. Then into the winter, the tree produces glossy red fruit that are favored amongst many birds. Because of these qualities, the flowering dogwood makes a great ornamental tree throughout all seasons. This flowering dogwood is attractive to many forms of wildlife; dense branching, fruits, and buds are attractive to birds, and the flowers attract many butterflies.2
