Snow Tower Chinese dogwood gets the "snow" in its name from the abundant large white bracts and the "tower" from the upright narrow habit.

Members of the genus Cornus, commonly known as dogwoods, are welcome in the home garden for their multi-season interest (flowers, fruit, foliage, or bark) and their range of forms from small trees to suckering shrubs. The dominant display, however, varies among the species.

Dogwoods are native to cooler temperate areas of North America and Asia. The genus includes 45-60 species, divided into subgenera about which taxonomists disagree. The Chicago Botanic Garden's collection includes almost 100 varieties of dogwood from 20 species (7 of which are native) and more than 2,400 plants.