Caring for Flowering Dogwood

Written by Debra Wyatt (last updated July 7, 2017)

The flowering dogwood (cornus florida) is a beautiful tree with a gorgeous spring display of flowers. Flowers on the tree in the springtime have four petal-like bracts; these bracts are usually a snow white or pink surrounding a cluster of little inconspicuous yellow flowers. When fall comes the tree bears a bright red football-shaped fruit, which attracts birds and other wildlife.

The dogwood is considered to be a small tree, but it can grow to thirty or thirty-five feet across. The typical size would be around fifteen feet high, with a measurement of fifteen to twenty feet across.

The tree is found mostly in the eastern part of North America but can be found as far south as Florida. The dogwood is considered to be one of the most popular ornamental trees. When planning your garden or landscaping think about using the flowering dogwood as a background tree or as a framing tree. This is one exceptional tree when it comes to flowering, because the tree is beautiful all year round. In the springtime you enjoy the beautiful flowers, the leaves in the summertime, and the bright red berries along with the consistent fall color.

As for maintenance, the tree requires very little. The tree does very well in moist, fertile ground with good drainage. If the soil is too moist or doesn't have adequate drainage the roots will rot. While the flowering dogwood can tolerate some dry spells, it can't tolerate the dry spells for long. When there is either a drought or a long dry spell consider watering the dogwood at least weekly.

Some care should be exercised when it comes to fertilizing. It would be best to talk with your local nursery to find the best fertilizer. If the tree is over fertilized when it is young, it can be injured. There is no need to fertilize an established tree. After the tree has been established it will receive the needed nutrients from other trees and plants.

The dogwood can tolerate shade, partial shade, and the full sun. However it does best if the tree receives full sun in the north and has partial shade in the south where the days are hotter.

Flowering dogwood doesn't require any special pruning. In fact, pruning is generally not required other than to remove injured or dead branches.

The biggest threat to the flowering dogwood is dogwood anthracnose. Cool, wet spring or fall weather can bring the infection on. If the tree is infected for several years, it can kill the tree.

This tree has hardwood which is used in making loom shuttles and spindles. With the beautiful leaves the tree makes a wonderful shade tree. Because of its small stature this tree is a very good candidate for smaller yards.

Author Bio

Debra Wyatt

Deb has a communications degree and applies her talents to her position as Marketing Specialist at Sharon Parq Associates. In her spare time she spends time with her children and grandchildren and devotes time to her church. ...

MORE FROM DEBRA

Keeping Craft and Hobby Materials Organized

Your creative juices are flowing, but where to work on those projects? Just don't have room or simply can't find what you ...

Discover More

Planting Clematis

Clematis can be intimating when it comes to planting and growing. It doesn't have to be this way. Learn how to have ...

Discover More

How to Apply Makeup

Knowing how to apply makeup isn't as scary as it sounds. You can get the perfect look by learning just a few helpful tips.

Discover More
More Gardening Tips

Using Mulch to Protect Trees

Mulch is a great way to protect your trees and make gardening a lot easier. When properly laid down, it not only shields ...

Discover More

How to Transplant a Tree

Transplanting a tree is a little more involved that digging a hole and plopping it in. A few extra considerations come ...

Discover More

Can Moss Kill a Tree?

Finding moss on your trees can very easily leave a homeowner confused and worried. After all while it may look ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)