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Planting, Growing, and Pruning Dogwoods
Dogwoods are arguably the most spectacular flowering trees. A native tree with several seasons of interest, dogwoods bloom in the spring, leaf out in the summer, and bear red berries and foliage in the fall. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for flowering dogwoods.
About Dogwoods
Dogwoods are a group of shrubs and small trees in the genus Cornus. They are native to eastern North America, from Canada to Mexico, and are the state flower of North Carolina and Virginia. They are also the state tree of Virginia.
This article will focus on the famous and beautiful flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, which is hardy Zones 5 to 9. These small trees make excellent specimen plantings in the landscape. They often bear short trunks, a spreading crown with multiple branches, and long-flowering pink or white flowers.
In the wild, these are understory trees that thrive below the canopy of larger trees. They enjoy the shaded environments of the forest, striving to get a bit more light. As understory trees, they prefer partial sun and some shelter from the wind. They’re often found in moist environments, near rivers, but they do not like wet feet. Keep their natural habitat in mind because they don’t like to be out in the open.
Native Americans treasured dogwood for its hardwood, which they used to make pulleys and spools; the bark and roots were also used for medicinal reasons.
When do Dogwoods Bloom?
Flowering dogwoods bloom in the spring before the leaves emerge, often in April or early May.
The pink, white, or red colors last for about two weeks in springtime. Light green leaves emerge and turn darker green in summer.
Then, leaves turn reddish in the fall, which brings showy red berries. The fruits are not poisonous but bitter and inedible to humans and beloved by birds and wildlife.
When to Plant Dogwoods
Flowering dogwoods can be planted in either spring or fall. However, if planting in autumn, get the tree in the ground 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost to allow it time to build new roots before winter dormancy sets in.
Where to Plant Dogwoods
When selecting a site for your flowering dogwood, remember to consider the mature size of the tree (30 to 40 feet). While it will take time for your new dogwood to reach its full size, planning at planting will eliminate problems later.
Select a site with:
- Partial sun. Afternoon shade is helpful in hotter climates. An area that receives dappled sun all day is also a good choice.
- Adequate drainage with a significant amount of organic matter (as you’d find near a woodsy area). Dogwoods like moist sites but will not do well in areas with frequent standing water.
- Slightly acidic soil.
- Easy access to the hose or other water source. Dogwoods, being understory forest trees, don’t like to dry out. They’ll benefit from supplemental watering during hot, dry periods, especially in the first couple of years while they are getting established. Even larger dogwoods have shallow root systems, and a droughty period can stress them more than other trees. The tree should be mulched to keep the soil moist and cool.
- Ideally, provide shelter from winds. Planting near a house, near other trees, or at the edges of your landscape will make a dogwood happiest.
How to Plant Dogwoods
Planting dogwood is just like planting other nursery stock.
- Remove any sod.
- Dig a hole the same depth as the root ball and at least twice as wide. The hole should look like a shallow bowl, not a soup can.
- Loosen the soil at the edges and bottom of the hole. Don’t leave a hard, compacted edge or bottom that will be difficult for roots to penetrate (or water to drain).
- Remove the dogwood from its container and prune any circling or girdling roots. Rootbound plants will benefit from the scoring of the rootball to stimulate new growth in outward directions.
- Place and test fit the dogwood in the hole. Check for depth and ensure no roots are bent over or circling the hole. Enlarge the hole if necessary.
- Backfill the hole with the soil you removed, ensuring the tree is kept vertical while filling. Stop when the hole is about halfway refilled and tamp the soil firmly around the roots to remove air pockets, then give it a good drink of water. Continue filling the soil around the roots and firming it with your hands.
- Mulch around the tree, about 3-4 inches thick. Spread the mulch evenly in a circle extending 2-3 feet from the trunk. Don’t let the mulch touch the trunk–keep a finger width or two separation. The final mulch job should look like a flattened donut, not a volcano.
There are nearly 100 cultivars of flowering dogwood.
- ‘Appalachian Joy’ is a white-flowering dogwood for those who have trouble getting dogwood to grow. It is less picky and more problem-resistant than some other varieties.
- C. florida rubra is a classic flowering dogwood with pink flowers and red fall foliage. ‘Cherokee Chief’ is a ruby-red flowering variety with deep burgundy fall foliage.
- Dogwoods are susceptible to disease and insect problems. So, if this is your fear, look to the Rutgers University ‘Rutgan’ varieties, which are hybrids very resistant to dogwood borer and dogwood anthracnose. Most flower a little later in the spring (a week or two) than average.
- Stellar Pink Dogwood (Cornus x ‘Rutgan’ ) is a low-branching tree with large, rounded 3 to 5-inch flowers with a profuse bloom.
- Aurora Dogwood (Cornus x ‘Rutban’ ) bears velvety white flowers 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They are so dense at peak bloom that they nearly cover the foliage.
Andy Wilcox
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My Dogwood tree bloomed sparsely only once since planted more than 5 years ago. It has not bloomed since, and I wonder why. It is in a perfect place for an understory tree. We have big oak trees, walnut, etc. and a creek nearby. I water it in the summer whenever I water the flower garden and had fed it with compost. There are 2 Dogwood trees (pink and white) of my neighbors but they are on opposite end of the backyard. Do they need cross pollination from a similar tree? What causes it to not bloom? I'd appreciate any feedback. Thank you.
Hi Elvira,
Sorry to hear about your dogwood not flowering. Dogwoods typically grow at the edge of forests, so they spend half the day in the Sun and the other half in shade, but from your description it sounds like those are the conditions your dogwood is growing in.
If your dogwood is planted close to your lawn, which you then use fertilizers on, it could be an issue with too much nitrogen. Nitrogen is great for leaf growth, but it can cause your dogwood to not flower. If that is the case, stop using lawn fertilizer in that area of your lawn, opting instead to use a balanced fertilizer.
Drought or poor drainage can also be a factor, but since you said that you water it when you care for your flowers it might be receiving too much water. Water logged roots can adversely affect a dogwood’s growth. It is best to give it about 1 inch a week (including rainfall) for its first half dozen years.
It should also be mentioned that pruning a dogwood should only be done immediately after bloom time because pruning later in the season can remove immature buds.
And, it could also be an issue with disease or environmental stressors leading to your dogwood not blooming.
Hope this helps!
Dogwoods look lovely in woods or forests~
