Do the bracts of a dogwood tree fall off?

Question

I read that bracts are like leaves, and since Dogwoods are deciduous, do they fall off in cold weather? When does this happen in comparison to the ripening of the fruit?

Answer 1

The dogwood flower is actually an inflorescence (many flowers together in a cluster).  The inflorescences has bracts that look like petals, so the flower cluster (or inflorescence) looks like one flower.  Once the flower is fertilized and begins maturing into fruit, the bracts will be shed.  The fruit will be a small red drupe.  This will contain several seeds, one from each flower of the cluster.