If you’re looking for a stunning focal point for your garden, few trees can match the seasonal beauty of dogwoods. Understanding the different types of dogwood trees – beautiful flowering varieties can help you choose the perfect one for your space. These trees offer more than just spring blossoms; many provide vibrant fall color, interesting winter form, and berries for birds. Let’s look at some of the most popular and gorgeous options available.
Types of Dogwood Trees – Beautiful Flowering Varieties
This group of trees includes several species, each with its own unique charm. The “flowers” we admire are often actually showy bracts, which are modified leaves that surround the smaller, true flowers. This adaptation gives them a longer-lasting display. When selecting a dogwood, consider your climate, soil, and the desired multi-season interest.
1. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
This is the classic native dogwood of eastern North America. It’s beloved for its iconic spring display and elegant horizontal branching.
- Appearance: Features large white or pink “flower” bracts in spring, red berries in fall, and purplish-red fall foliage. Its bark has a distinctive blocky, alligator-skin pattern.
- Popular Cultivars: ‘Cherokee Princess’ (reliable white blooms), ‘Cherokee Brave’ (deep pink bracts), ‘Cloud 9’ (profuse white overlapping bracts).
- Growing Tips: Prefers part shade and well-drained, acidic soil. It can be susceptible to anthracnose fungus in humid areas.
2. Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)
Often called the Chinese or Japanese dogwood, this species is a fantastic disease-resistant alternative to the flowering dogwood. It blooms later in spring, after the leaves have emerged.
- Appearance: Showy pointed white or pink bracts that last for weeks. It produces a unique raspberry-like edible fruit and has exfoliating bark for winter interest. Fall color is a mix of red and purple.
- Popular Cultivars: ‘Satomi’ (rosy-pink bracts), ‘Wolf Eyes’ (variegated green and white leaves with white bracts), ‘Milky Way’ (notibly prolific flowering and fruiting).
- Growing Tips: More sun-tolerant and adaptable than C. florida. Resists anthracnose and powdery mildew well.
3. Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
This is the majestic native dogwood of the West Coast, known for its incredibly large floral displays.
- Appearance: Bears impressively large white bracts, sometimes with a pink tinge, that can be up to 6 inches across. It may even produce a second, smaller bloom in the fall. Its fall color is a brilliant orange-red.
- Growing Tips: Thrives in the cool, moist conditions of the Pacific Northwest. It is very susceptible to anthracnose outside its native range and can be challenging to grow in other regions.
4. Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas)
This is actually a large, multi-stemmed shrub that can be trained as a small tree. It’s valued for its very early spring bloom and edible fruit.
- Appearance: Clusters of tiny, bright yellow flowers appear on bare branches in late winter or early spring. It produces oblong red fruits (cherries) in late summer that are tart but good for jams. Fall foliage is a subtle purplish-red.
- Growing Tips: Extremely tough, cold-hardy, and adaptable to various soils and sun conditions. A great choice for difficult sites.
How to Choose the Right Dogwood for Your Garden
Picking the perfect variety involves more than just flower color. Follow these steps to make a smart choice.
- Check Your Hardiness Zone: Most flowering dogwoods thrive in zones 5-8, but Cornus mas can handle zone 4. Kousa dogwoods extend the range to zone 5-8 reliably.
- Assess Your Sunlight: While many prefer dappled afternoon shade, Kousa dogwoods handle full sun better, especially in cooler climates. Morning sun with afternoon shade is often ideal.
- Test Your Soil: Dogwoods generally prefer moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Poorly drained, soggy soil is a major cause of failure. A simple soil test kit can give you valuable information.
- Consider Mature Size: Ensure you have enough space for the tree’s width and hight at maturity. A cramped tree is an unhealthy tree.
- Plan for Multi-Season Interest: Decide which features matter most: spring flowers, summer fruit, fall color, or winter bark and form.
Planting and Basic Care Guide
Proper planting sets your tree up for a long, healthy life. Here’s what you need to do.
- Planting Time: Early fall is best, allowing roots to establish before summer heat. Spring planting is also fine if you can provide consistent water.
- The Planting Hole: Dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball, but no deeper. The top of the root ball should be slightly above the surrounding soil level.
- Watering: Water deeply once a week during the first growing season. Dogwoods have shallow roots and are sensitive to drought.
- Mulching: Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch (like wood chips) in a wide circle around the tree. Keep mulch away from the trunk to prevent rot.
- Pruning: Prune in late fall or winter when the tree is dormant. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches to maintain good air circulation and shape.
Common Problems and Solutions
Even the best gardeners encounter issues. Here’s how to tackle common dogwood troubles.
- Dogwood Anthracnose: A fungal disease causing leaf spots and twig dieback. Solution: Choose resistant Kousa varieties, ensure good air flow, avoid overhead watering, and rake up fallen leaves.
- Powdery Mildew: A white powdery coating on leaves. Solution: Plant in areas with morning sun, prune for air circulation, and use resistant cultivars.
- Borers: Insects that tunnel into trunks and branches. Solution: Keep trees healthy and unstressed (proper water is key). Protect trunks from lawnmower damage, which creates entry points.
- Leaf Scorch: Brown, crispy leaf edges often caused by drought, root problems, or too much sun/heat. Solution: Provide consistent moisture and adequate shade during the hottest part of the day.
Design Ideas for Using Flowering Dogwoods
These trees are versatile in the landscape. Think beyond just planting one in the lawn.
- Use as a stunning specimen tree where you can admire its form from multiple angles.
- Plant in a woodland garden alongside azaleas, rhododendrons, and ferns.
- Underplant with spring bulbs like daffodils or with shade-loving perennials like hostas and hellebores.
- Create a small grove of several dogwoods for a breathtaking mass of spring color.
- Use the smaller or shrubby types, like Cornus mas, in a mixed border for early spring bloom.
FAQ About Flowering Dogwood Trees
How fast do dogwood trees grow?
They are considered slow to moderate growers, typically adding 1-2 feet per year under ideal conditions. Patience is rewarded with a strong, healthy structure.
What is the best fertilizer for dogwood trees?
Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for trees and shrubs in early spring. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this can do more harm than good. A top-dressing of compost is often sufficient.
Can I grow a dogwood tree in a container?
For a short time, yes, especially dwarf cultivars. However, they will eventually become root-bound and stressed. They are best planted in the ground for long-term health.
Why is my dogwood not flowering?
Common reasons include too much shade, improper pruning (cutting off flower buds), drought stress, or a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer that promotes leaves over flowers. Also, young trees often take several years to begin blooming reliably.
Are dogwood berries edible for people?
The berries of Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) are edible and often used in jellies. The berries of Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) are tart but make excellent preserves. Berries of other species are generally considered inedible or mildly toxic to humans, but are valuable for birds.
Adding one of these beautiful flowering dogwood trees to your yard is a investment in year-round beauty. By selecting the right type for your conditions and providing some basic care, you’ll be able to enjoy its spectacular show for many, many years to come. The key is to match the tree to your site and to be patient as it establishes itself and grows into its full potential.