The dogwood tree ’s profuse bloom appear between late March and mid - May and linger for weeks , giving way to green folio in the summer . Photo by : Mark Turner .

Dogwood trees and shrubs , some of the most popular in the country , put up an unmatched four - season display of beauty . The primary attraction is the appearance of the showy white or pink flowers ( actually bracts ) that herald the arrival of spring . Unfussy in its care necessary , the dogwood readily thrives in the family landscape and grows quickly .

On this page : The Basics|Planting|Dogwood Care & Pruning|Pictures|All - Season Beauty|Dogwood Facts|Places to See Flowering dogwood

Proven Winners - #1 Plant Brand

On this pageboy :

BASICS

Zones:

2 - 9 , calculate on variety

Size:

shrub 3 to 5 feet tall and blanket ; trees from 10 to 25 animal foot tall with a bole diameter of 6 to 12 in .

Exposure:

Full sun to partial or full tincture , depending on variety .

Bloom time:

Mid - March through May , depending on diverseness .

Growth rate:

Most dogwood shrubs and trees grow quickly , with a dissolute charge per unit of over a foot a year . Trees will reach full size in about a decade .

Flower color:

White is the usual gloss of the cornel ’s petal - like bracts , but some are pinkish or even pallid cerise , such asC. florida‘Rubra ’ .

Foliage:

Like other deciduous trees and shrubs , the leaves of a dogwood tree are green during summertime and change to an attractive reddish - purpleness during the dip , before dropping to the land .

Form:

tree are rounded with horizontal branching . Dogwood crotch hair have an upright habit .

Are dogwoods deer resistant?

Deer resistance variegate slightly between types , but for most , Rutgersrates them as rarely to occasionally damage by deer .

TYPES OF DOGWOODS

Types:

Learn shrubs .

PLANTING DOGWOODS

When to plant:

Plant dogwoods in the spring , before tree growth starts and when the soil is moist .

Where to plant:

dogwood boom in both Sunday and shade , making it a great understory tree or bush .

Soil:

cornel do easily in moist , well - drained , slightly acidulous grunge that check organic affair .

Planting tips:

Companion plants:

works withwitch hazel , redbudandoakleaf hydrangea .

DOGWOOD CARE & PRUNING

Pruning:

Dogwood trees and shrubs have a naturally attractive shape , so they require footling pruning unless require for aesthetical reason or to meliorate their vigor . The best time to prune is in the later wintertime ( when the tree is dormant ) to early spring , before raw folige emerges .

Watering:

Water your dogwood tree on a even basis until it is ground . Then , provide additional piddle during raging dry spells and mulch to facilitate retain moisture . Keep the mulch pulled back a few inch from the tree luggage compartment . Dogwood tree opt moist grunge , with many tolerating boggy condition , so they are n’t necessarily drought tolerant .

Fertilizing:

Be careful when fertilizing a young dogwood tree shrub or tree diagram — many newly set trees are kill by applying too much fertilizer . For this reason it is often safe to hold off on feed until your tree is in its second season . If you have an established dogwood that you feel would do good from impregnation , have your soil tested to determine the good course of action . Additionally , fertilizer applied too tardily in the season can shake up new growth that is vulnerable to winter legal injury .

Diseases:

Dogwoods are subject toanthracnose , a fungous disease that cause leaf spotting and sprig dieback . Preventive measures let in providing good melody circulation to keep leafage dry , and watering in the summer during menses of drought . Any diseased twigs and arm should be prune off .

Pests:

The most common louse pest is the cornel woodborer , whose larvae tunnel under the bark of the trunk and branch . Because freshly hatched larva enter the tree through wound or disordered barque , forefend damage to the barque when doing lawn sustainment and do n’t cut from April to June when woodborer are most active . septic trees can be treat by spray with an insecticide .

DOGWOOD PICTURES

Photo by : Proven winner

Arctic Sun ® stock branchlet dogwoodC. sanguinea

character : ShrubZones:4 - 7Exposure : Part sunshine to sunHeight / Spread:3 to 4 feet marvellous & wideFlower color & flush time : ashen flowers flower late spring .

White Dogwood, Dogwood Blooms
Garden Design
Calimesa, CA

Yellow - dark-green leaves come forth in leaping , turn golden orange tree in the fall . But the main draw of this dogwood is the unequaled chicken , orangish , and coral - tinge stems that brighten winter gardens and make colorful additions to winter arrangements and container .

Arctic Fire ® Redosier dogwoodC. stolonifera

character : ShrubZones:2 - 7Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:3 to 5 feet tall & wideFlower color & blossom time : White flowers bloom recent spring .

White Dogwood, Dogwood Blooms
Garden Design
Calimesa, CA

A dwarf variety , smaller than other cherry - sprig dogwood and also very shade kind . The beautiful loss stems glow in winter sunlight . Use winter stems in seasonal arrangements . Also : Arctic Fire ® Yellow

Pucker Up! ® red branchlet dogwoodC. stolonifera

character : ShrubZones:3 - 8Exposure : Part Dominicus to sunHeight / Spread:3 to 4 understructure improbable & wideFlower color & heyday time : clean flowers blossom in give .

White Dogwood, Dogwood Blooms
Garden Design
Calimesa, CA

The uniquely textured foliage has a quilted effect and will show some coloration in fall . This slow grower rarely needs pruning .

Red Rover ® silky dogwoodC. obliqua

eccentric : ShrubZones:4 - 8Exposure : Part sun to sunHeight / Spread:4 to 5 feet improbable & wideFlower color & bloom time : snowy flush bloom in tardy outflow ; may gently rebloom in fall .

White Dogwood, Dogwood Blooms
Garden Design
Calimesa, CA

The exceptional surrender colouring on this native industrial plant is its high spot . A dear choice for boggy areas or pelting garden due to its tolerance of damp to even wet soils .

Golden Shadows ® pagoda dogwoodC. alternifolia

character : TreeZones:3 - 8Exposure : Partial to full shadeHeight / Spread:10 to 12 feet marvelous & wideFlower color & bloom sentence : White peak bloom in spring .

Distinctive horizontal branching return this small tree diagram an refined looking at . Bright yellowed and emerald green variegated leave add color to shady corners .

Photo by : Spring Hill Nurseries .

' Summer Gold’kousa dogwoodC. kousa

eccentric : TreeZones:5 - 8Exposure : Partial shade to full sunHeight:8 feet tallFlower color & prime sentence : White flower bloom in later spring to other summertime .

A thick tree with multi - season interest group . In spring , expect golden - edged leaves ; in summer , creamy white flowers appear and the leaf begins to blush , finally turning brilliant red in fall .

exposure by : RWI Fine Art Photography / Alamy Stock Photo

' Cloud 9’flowering dogwoodC. florida

Type : TreeZones:5 - 9Exposure : fond tone to full sunHeight / Spread:15 feet tall , 10 feet wideFlower people of colour & bloom time : Large white bloom blossom in spring .

This ornamental Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree create an abundant display of large , everlasting - lily-white flower bract even at an former age .

photograph by : Holmes Garden Photos / Alamy Stock Photo

' Cherokee Sunset’flowering dogwoodC. florida

eccentric : TreeZones:5 - 8Exposure : Partial shade to full sunHeight / Spread:20 feet tall and wideFlower colouring & bloom meter : Pink to light red flower blossom mid - to - recent spring .

Variegated chicken - green foliage turns red in the fall . It is the only variegated dogwood tree with ruddy flower bracts .

Other pop flowering dogwoods:‘Cherokee Chief ' , ' Rubra ' and white dogwood tree

Photo by : Jon Lindstrom / Millette Photomedia

Cornelian cherry dogwoodC. Bay State

case : Shrub or treeZones:4 - 8Exposure : Partial shade to full sunHeight / Spread:20 to 25 feet tall , 15 to 20 feet wideFlower colour & bloom time : icteric flowers bloom in early spring .

Can be grown as a magnanimous deciduous shrub or train as a small tree .

Photo by : Kevin Schafer / Alamy Stock Photo

Pacific dogwoodC. nuttallii

Type : Shrub or treeZones:7 - 9Exposure : fond to full sunHeight / Spread:15 to 40 foot tall , 10 to 25 foot wideFlower color & bloom time : Purple - green flower cluster surrounded by gravid white bract , salad days in springtime .

Can be grown as a large medium - size tree or improbable bush and is the western version of the flowering dogwood . leaf will turn yellow , orange , and red-faced in fall .

Photo by : Sergey Rogalsky / Shutterstock

' Argenteomarginata’Tatarian dogwoodC. alba’Argenteomarginata '

Type : ShrubZones:3 - 7Exposure : Partial to full sunHeight / Spread:8 to 10 feet marvellous and wideFlower color & bloom time : white-hot bloom blossom in late spring .

Best theme color occurs on younger stems . Removing 1/4 of the stems in late wintertime to other natural spring will elevate new growth for more color .

Many dogwood bush and trees are available for leverage online . you’re able to expect to pay off close to $ 20 to $ 100 or more depending on the size and variety .

ALL-SEASON BEAUTY

Although the dogwood is a relatively minor tree — its splendid all - season ravisher makes a big wallop in the residential garden .

pic by : Nikolay Kurzenko / Shutterstock & Proven Winners .

SPRING

Blooms look on both trees and shrubs between recent March and mid - May and often last as long as three or four weeks .

Tree ( left):Flowers on trees be given to be single and heavy .

Shrubs ( right):Flowers on shrubs are smaller and mould in cluster .

pic by : islavicek / Shutterstock .

SUMMER

prime give manner to glossy green leaf , some with striking clean or chickenhearted variegation . leaf is similar on trees and shrubs .

Photo by : Jan Johnsen & Proven Winners .

AUTUMN

berry follow the flowers and attract birds , furnish food through fall and wintertime . Chuck Berry color varies calculate on the variety .

Trees ( left):As with the blossom , Charles Edward Berry are exclusive and larger on trees .

bush ( right):Clusters of pocket-sized berry watch over the flowers on shrubs .

Get idea for analluring autumn garden .

See moretrees and bush with colorful berries .

exposure by : J. Paul Moore & Proven Winners .

wintertime

Trees ( left ): After the leafage omit , the dogwood tree ’s elegant horizontal branch and scale - alike barque take eye stage . If you ’re favorable , the scarlet Berry will linger into winter , enhancing the unequalled beaut of the textured bark .

shrub ( aright ): Many cornel shrubs display colored stem in the winter in shades of yellow , reddened , precious coral , and orangish . ( Pictured : Arctic Sun ® dogwood tree )

See eight moretrees with typical bark .

DOGWOOD TREE FACTS

BEST PLACES TO SEE FLOWERING DOGWOODS

In anticipation of dogwood bust into bloom each spring , many states hold festivals to celebrate the event , some hold up as long as a calendar month .

Last update : June 23 , 2021