Growth habit — Shrub or tree (to 30 feet).

Duration —- Perennial.

Light Preference — Partial shade / sun.

Soil Preference — Moist / Well Drained.

Plant Associates — Chokecherry / American Hazel / Vaccinium Species / Striped Maple / Service Berry / Other Dogwoods.

Native Range — Eastern range to Central U.S.A.

Value To Wood Thrush : Food and Cover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogwood

Leaf: Alternate, simple, oval to ovate, 2 1/2 to 5 inches long, arcuate venation, leaves tend to cluster near branch tips so they may appear whorled or opposite, margins may be somewhat wavy, green above and paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; small, white, in flat-topped clusters, 2 to 4 inches across, appearing in late spring.

Fruit: Bluish-black drupe in clusters, (3/8 inch in diameter); fruit stalks turn reddish, ripen in late summer.

Twig: Slender, red to dark purple, pith white; terminal buds small (1/4 inch long), ovoid with two or three scales showing, leaf scars small and narrow; dead twigs turn a yellow-orange.

Bark: Smooth, dark green, streaky; eventually turns light brown and develops shallow fissures.

Form: Large shrub, may occasionally reach 30 feet tall; slender branches often horizontal with the ground; developing a flat-topped crown.

So bracts may be the word you want.