Cornus florida
As the state tree of Missouri , the flowering dogwood mean a lot to me .
I ’m a farseeing - time house physician of the “ Show - Me ” state , and I can say with confidence that this ornamental Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is definitely worth showing .
Lovely leaves , beautiful flush , and a fascinating form all combine to makeCornus floridaa sight to lay eyes on , no matter the clip of year .
Editorial credit: Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
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This bad male child is n’t the trickiest plant to take care of , either .
Sure , you ’ll have to be extra open-eyed to see that it does n’t become sick or infested with pests . But as long as a flower cornel is kept healthy , being its plant parent is smooth sailing .
Editorial credit: Jon Kraft / Shutterstock.com
Of course , proper cultivation takes some specialized knowledge … which is why we put together this grow guide for you !
After reading it , you ’ll have the have it away - how necessitate to develop and care for some rightfully awesome trees .
Here ’s a quick preview of everything this guide will teach you :
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
How to Grow
Cultivars to Select
Maintenance
multiplication
Pests and Disease
Hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 9 , the flowering dogwood ( Cornusflorida)is aboriginal to the eastern one-half of Mexico and the United States , and southeastern Canada .
It ’s a appendage of the Cornaceae family andtheCornusgenus – both of which are basically synonymous with dogwoods .
The common term “ unfolding dogwood tree ” may also be used to name toother cornel treesthat put out gorgeous flowerlike leafage bracts , such asthe kousa dogwoodandpagoda dogwood .
But when it comes to beautiful flower , C. floridais the champion .
Common name(s):Flowering Dogwood
flora type : Deciduous flowering tree
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):5 - 9
aboriginal to : Southeastern Canada , easterly United States and Mexico
blossom time / time of year : Spring
Exposure : Part wraith to full Sunday
Soil case : Moist , fertile , well draining
grease pH:5.5 - 6.5 , slenderly acidulent to slimly alkaline
Time to maturity:6 years
Spacing:20 metrical unit asunder , 6 foot from structures
maturate size:15 - 40 feet wide x 15 - 35 feet high
upright habituate : birdie gardens , groupings , native gardens , specimen , woodland gardens
Taxonomy
Order : Cornales
Family : Cornaceae
Genus : genus Cornus
Species : Florida
Cultivars : Appalachian Spring , Cherokee Chief , Cherokee Princess , Cloud 9
With a mature meridian of 15 to 35 feet and a breadth of 15 to 40 infantry at the canopy , this understory tree has upper branches that grow upright , while the low branch spread out more horizontally .
This creates an interesting layered result that emphasize the branching habit , rather than the trunk .
The plant ’s gray , scaly bark that some might liken to gator skin peels easily , yet the wood beneath is secure and durable .
The genus nameCornus – from the Latin “ cornu ” entail “ hard ” – is a nod to the woods ’s toughness .
The leaf is oppositely arranged and each leaf is oval - regulate , specify to a pointed remnant . Alternating vein initiate from the midrib and meet at the backsheesh of each leaf . The bottom of the leaf are pale , and the margins are slightly crinkly .
Color - wise , the leaves come forth in nuance of bronze - green to white-livered - green in spring , fledged to a drab green in summertime , and transform to reveal red to scarlet - purplish chromaticity hail autumn .
This plant is actually one of the first deciduous Tree in the landscape to showcase itsfall colors , which persist until the leaves degenerate in early winter .
The flowers are what really setC. floridaapart from other landscape painting Tree . It ’s the right way there in both the common name and the Latin species nameflorida , meaning “ flowery ” or “ in bloom . ”
But this does come with a far-famed trifle : like topoinsettiasorbougainvillea , theactualflowers are n’t the show - stoppers – rather , the side by side petal - like leaf bracts are .
The honest efflorescence are yellowish - green , flyspeck , and crowded together in an undistinguished mass that lacks showiness .
Four leaf bract lie in underneath the efflorescence , each shape like a top - heavy nut with a notable rose- or maroon - shaded notch at its peak .
The bract are white in the standard mintage , but some cultivars sport golden - jaundiced , ruby , or pink hues .
Emerging in mid - spring , the flowers are pollinated by butterflies and excavation bees , and later give path to bunch of glossy red drupes , which birds , rabbits , deer , and even black bears bump quite tasty . Rabbits and deer also graze the tree for its leave and twig .
But to allHomo sapiensreading this , do n’t get any ideas – the fruits are poisonous to humans .
How to Grow Flowering Dogwood Trees
For optimum wellness and aesthetics , it ’s unspoiled to give your florescence dogwood tree the accurate conditions that it need .
Climate and Exposure Needs
C. floridaperforms intimately in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9 . As an understory tree diagram , it get it on fond ghost , but it can also handle partial to full sunlight exposure quite nicely at maturity if it ’s kept properly hydrated .
Leaf singe can occur when atmospheric condition are too dry , so a part shade fix should be provide if you bid to play it safe .
Once your tree diagram have achieve maturity , do n’t worry about hint or violent storm damage , the blossom cornel is a tough specimen .
Soil Needs
As is the compositor’s case with many plant , well - draining soil is imperative forC. florida , along with a decent level of soil fertility and the 5.5 to 6.5 pH cooking stove mentioned above .
Soil compaction is another condition that this tree diagram allow well , which is ready to hand if you ’re working with heavy soils .
Water and Fertilizer Needs
Ideally , you should maintain even dirt wet while avoiding oversaturation .
This can be a all right railway line to trample , so err on the side of caveat when it fare to irrigation – think minimal good dose , rather than maximum tolerable loudness .
A utile irrigation prescription is to water whenever the top inch of grime feel dry .
Keep soil fecundity up by working a couple inch of well - rotted manure or compost into the root zone every spring .
A regular ol’ inflorescence cornel is already quite spectacular .
you may find a four- to five - foot pottedC. floridaspecimenat FastGrowingTrees.com .
Flowering Dogwood
For seeds , the CZ Grain Store deal 20 - packs of white - floweringC. floridaseedson Amazon .
But perhaps you ’re after a sure trait that the standard species lacks . If so , you ’re in destiny – there are more than a hundred cultivars to choose from .
Here are my personal favourite .
Appalachian Spring
The flowering dogwood is known for a flock of things , but disease resistance is n’t one of them .
However , ‘ Appalachian Spring ’ is the exception : it ’s nearly impervious toDisculadestructiva , a particularly filthy pathogen that you ’ll learn about shortly .
It also packs some serious ravisher within its upright 20- to 30 - foot - magniloquent frame , with overlapping ashen efflorescence bracts and gorgeously red fall hue .
So yes , it can dish out the aestheticsandtake the anthracnose .
Cherokee Chief
While the other three cultivar trace here have white bloom – a manifestation of my own aesthetic prejudice – ‘ Cherokee Chief ’ is a glorious exception .
The foliage bract of ‘ Cherokee Chief ’ are pretty much the opposite of the received species ’ : crimson - ruddy , with white notches at their apex of the sun’s way .
There ’s a piece of extra Edward Douglas White Jr. at the bract basis , which create a white “ air ” of sorts that pull back the heart to the greenish true flowers at the center .
accomplish a height of 20 to 25 foot and a width of 12 to 18 invertebrate foot , this cultivar is more erect than the standard metal money plant . A display of pride , perhaps ?
‘ Cherokee Chief ’
FastGrowingTrees.com sells‘Cherokee Chief ’ in two- to three- or four- to five - human foot sizes .
Cherokee Princess
But perhaps you ’re content with a white flowering dogwood . In that case , ‘ Cherokee Princess ’ is simply an improvement upon the original .
This tree go forth early on in spring , even for a flowering dogwood tree .
Additionally , the white bloom of this variety reach five inches in diameter – an inch or two wider than banner .
At a fledged height and breadth of 20 foot , it ’s also resistive to spot anthracnose and canker .
A ordered champion ofC. floridacultivar evaluations , ‘ Cherokee Princess ’ emerges from dormancy originally , flowers more heavily , and produce wider bracts than the standard – C. florida2.0 , if you will .
‘ Cherokee Princess ’
you could find ‘ Cherokee Princess ’ in # 5 containersavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Cloud 9
Ca n’t get enough flowers ? With the ‘ Cloud 9 ’ cultivar growing in your landscape , you’llbeon swarm nine .
get to a tiptop and breadth of 15 to 20 substructure , the clean bracts of ‘ Cloud 9 ’ grow more densely than is distinctive , to the point of overlapping with each other . This variety also has a slower growth charge per unit than the mintage plant .
Along with canker electrical resistance , ‘ Cloud 9 ’ has a greater allowance for shabu , snow , and cold temperatures than other florescence cornel .
If you ’re located just on the perimeter of Zone 5 – or surprised by the episodic unusually abrasive winter – then ‘ Cloud 9 ’ is the complete choice .
‘ Cloud 9 ’
you’re able to find ‘ Cloud 9’available from FastGrowingTrees.com .
require More Options ?
Be certain to check out our cultivar guide , “ 13 of the Best Flowering Dogwood Varieties . ”
Damaged , morbid , or dead arm should be clip whenever you acknowledge them , but more thorough bouts of pruning should be an annual praxis , conducted just prior to the emergence of new emergence in spring .
During these annual pruning Roger Sessions , focalize on dispatch crossing or fret branches , watersprouts / suckers , and any obtrusive branches that embarrass inter - canopy airflow … but do n’t remove more than a third of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in one go !
Do n’t worry about mould the class or habit – a blossom cornel looks comfortably au naturel .
Maintaining the mulch layer you added upon transplanting with fresh material is effective for preserving soil wet , regulating dirt temperature , and preventing weed outgrowth .
As a deciduous Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , C. floridawill overlook its farewell each year , which mayneed to be raked up . One coolheaded thing about fallenCornusfoliage , though , is its rapid decomposition .
Flowering dogwood leaves , for instance , are10 timesquicker to decay than oak tree leaves . Any rake - up and tear up leaves from healthy specimens would make for a perfect mulch or composting material !
Rake up and dispose of fallen leave of absence if your top precedence is disease prevention , as pathogens can live on in leaf rubble .
you may propagateC. floridavia seed , shank cuttings , and transplanting .
you could also use layering or graft techniques , but for the average home nurseryman , it ’s easier to stick with the first three method acting .
From Seed
To pick up seeds , pick fruit when they ’re mature in August – recently fallen seeds are basically guarantee to be ripe .
To separate the seed from the fruit , some growers urge wrapping epithelial duct tape around the blades of a blender , blend up the fruits , and washing away the loose flesh by rinsing the semen in a sieve .
instantly following cleanup , the seeds will postulate to be stratified .
Put the come in a plastic baggie filled with damppeat moss , seal it , and place the baggie in the icebox for 120 sidereal day . All the while , verify to keep the moss moist .
After stratification , fill well - drain four - column inch pots with a 50 - 50 mixture of sphagnum peat moss and perlite .
Pots can be expensive , but even punch a duet of small hole in the bottom of pliant SOLO cups will do the joke .
drizzle the grease , then eat up each seed half an column inch late in its own pot . Set the stack on a sunny indoor windowsill where they will incur indirect light .
Keep the soil moist , maintain indoor temperatures of 70 to 80 ° degree Fahrenheit , and repot as need to stave off root bindage .
Once August rolls around again , the seedling should be ready for inure off .
Move the corporation outside to an area with full or fond Sunday for thirty to sixty minute before bringing them back inside .
Each following day , add an additional half to full hour of exposure until the seedlings can handle a full day outside , and then they ’ll be ready for transplanting !
From Stem Cuttings
Before you set out , fill a seed - bulge tray with a 50:50 mix of moist peat moss and perlite .
In other summertime , take four - column inch cutting with a sterile steel from the tips of goodish , semi - hardwood stem .
Remove the folio from the bottom in of each film editing and dip the cut ends in a root hormone , such as Bontone II IBA rooting powder from Bonide .
Bonide Bontone II IBA Rooting Powder
It’savailable from Arbico Organics .
cling the hormone - powdered end of each slip about an in late into the peat and perlite mix in your tray , check that to space them a couple of inch aside .
order the tray near a cheery windowpane , and keep the media around the cuttings moist .
In six to eight weeks , give the thinning a gentle tug to test for sturdy root development . Each take root cutting can be repotted in its own four - column inch container .
Once Modern leaf form , the cuttings are ready to be moved into a moth-eaten figure outside .
Because dogwood cut take a mates of seasons to develop winter hardiness , it ’s adept to keep them in a hotbed or heated insensate frame for the next two age , repotting as necessary and align the temperature as need – do n’t let it put down below freeze or surface high enough to fake the industrial plant !
Once they ’re sufficiently harden off to outside conditions , it ’s fourth dimension to graft them into the garden .
Via Transplanting
Got transplants ? The best times for transplanting are late fall and early spring .
Come transplanting time , develop patches of fecund garden soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 .
infinite these situation at least 20 foot apart and no less than six foundation out from nearby structures or plants , and ensure they ’re situated in fond shade to full sun .
dig out fix of the same depth and a bit broad than the root systems of your transplant .
work up up a hillock of land in the heart of the hole . lour the transplants in one at a clip , pass around their etymon over the pitcher’s mound , backfill with soil , and irrigate them in .
add together two to four inches of mulch – such as pine straw or shredded leaves – to the root zone and maintain consistent soil moisture .
It ’s important to make trusted the root flare is n’t cover up by either mulch or soil . If it is , then go back and bring out it .
All the splendour of a flower dogwood does n’t mean diddlyshit if the flora is wracked with disease or infestation .
And unluckily forC. florida , it ’s prone to contagion or hurt because of a lot of pathogens and pestis .
Herbivores
In the wild , a flowering dogwood draw in a variety of plant - feed mammals to its tasty fruits , folio , and/or twig .
There are a twosome for the home gardener to be on the lookout for :
Your best defence against cervid ? A “ D - fencing . ” … and the “ D ” stands for cervid .
Indeed , a deer fence around your property will keep your landscape protected from any cervid - chomping .
Additionally , spray of cervid repellent around susceptible plantings will further dissuade Bambi from feasting .
Enviro Pro Deer Repellent
In need of resource ? We ’ve gotdeer fencinganddeer controlguides for you to learn , and Enviro Pro sells six - pound tubs of granular deer repellentvia Amazon .
Just like cervid , rabbit will browse the leaves and twigs ofC. florida , if given the chance .
Take away said chance with a perimeter of chicken wire or hardware textile .
Erect it two to three feet in height , and bury it two to three inches below the ground around each plant to foreclose sub - surface tunneling .
Galvanized Fencing Wire
require some fence ? These galvanized rolls of swordsman wirefrom Home Depotshould meet your need just fine .
Insects
keep creepy - crawlies from down yourCornuswill deliver you some strife on the disease front , since insects can also vector pathogens .
AkaSynanthedon scitula , cornel woodborer are the larval form of a wasp - like clearwing moth that lays its egg in barque wounds and openings .
After they incubate , the larvae feed on the inner bark and cambium , which can lead to branch death , decreased vigour , and even the destruction of the full tree diagram … especially if your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is new .
Adding insult to injury , infested leaves can redden and cast early .
Proper cultivation will help prop up any barque openings that the moths might lay nut in . quash unnecessary combat injury by being deliberate with your mowing , pruning , and string trimming .
Applications of permethrin in early May , double at three - week intervals until downfall , will aid control . Target the body , major branches , and anybark woundswith your spray .
Trees infested beyond repair should be removed and disposed of .
The dogwood club gall midge ( Resseliella clavula)is a little fly measuring a sixteenth of an column inch in length .
Female adult lay their eggs in final leaves , which hatch , introduce the shoots , and begin feeding .
Small galls signifier in response , which kills any portion of the root word beyond the gall .
hail fall , the larvae exit the bitterness and sink to the ground to overwinter . Along with the galls , folio wilt disease and deformation are both noticeable symptom .
Light plague are n’t a liberal issue , but heavy infestations can stunt development . When you detect insolence , remove and burn down the twigs on which they reside .
The primary symptom of aMacremphytus tarsatusinfestation is part to completely consumed leafage , which is eaten by these gadfly in their larval stage .
new larva are coat in a powdery blank wax , while mature larvae are white-livered , with pitch-black spots or crossing band . Defoliation can contribute to health emergence for the plant .
Begin to monitor for these gadfly in other July , and manually remove any larvae that you see . Sprays of horticultural oil – apply according to parcel centering – can help with big infestation .
bump more tips on identifying and master dogwood plague here .
Disease
Utilizing unfertile dick , engraft in disease - complimentary soils , and selecting plants detached from illness will all facilitate to prevent the spread of pathogens that could severely wrack yourC. florida .
Also bang as Discula anthracnose , this disease is cause byDisculadestructivafungi , a name that ’s forebodingly minatory . And for good reason – to aCornus , anthracnose is much The Black Death .
Initial symptoms seem in spring as spot on the leave and leaf bract , which work their fashion up the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . septic foliage recrudesce purple - edged tan spot , prominent blotches , and teetotal brown margins , which can blight the leaves and cause drooping .
The contagion also get cankers on the stems , branches , and trunk , finally gird and kill the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
To keep infection , plant resistant cultivars such as ‘ Appalachian Spring . ’ murder and cant over any water sprout , dead branches , and fallen leaves , potential overwintering land site for the kingdom Fungi .
Improving atmosphere circulation via pruning will also lower the odds of infection , and spraying new buds , leaves , and shoot with sanction , anthracnose - target fungicides in early leaping will aid to protect your tree .
Be certain torotate fungicides to avoid fungal resistancetoward any one case .
Cankered offset should be removed as you notice them . If that does n’t improve an infected Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s wellness , you should probably turn up and toss out of the specimen .
Learn more about Discula anthracnose designation .
Leaf spot in flowering cornel may be get byCercospora cornicolafungi and species ofSeptoria .
transmission mainly occurs during the wet summertime month .
Both kinds of fungi make small , on an irregular basis - shape spots bordered by leaf veins . Cercosporaspots are tannnish - brown , whileSeptoriaspots are a drear John Brown .
fungous leaf spot wo n’t kill the tree , but it sure enough wo n’t help its looks . clean up fallen leaf quickly will aid with bar , while more severe infection can be insure with fungicides .
cause by the fungusErysiphe pulchra , powdery mold covers upper leaf and shoot surface with a all right white powder .
Additional symptom include fringy leafage scorch , blood-red discoloration , yellowing , and previous leaf drop . infection are n’t fatal , but all of these symptom can touch on the industrial plant ’s sweetheart .
For bar , dispose of nearby fallen leaves , remove infected tissues , and prune to improve air circulation .
cultivar from the Appalachian series including ‘ Joy , ’ ‘ Blush , ’ ‘ coke , ’ and ‘ Mist ’ all show immunity against powdery mildew .
Fungicides such as myclobutanil and propiconazole – applied accord to directions on the label or by a professional arborist – work for control .
Best Uses for Flowering Dogwood Trees
Whether planted on an individual basis or as part of a little grouping , blossom dogwood looks awesome as a specimen planting .
It offer multiseason visual pursuit with exceptional aesthetics throughout the year : spectacular spring blossom , plushy summer leave , colorful fall foliage , and an interesting branching habit to enjoy during otherwise barren winters .
As a mid - size understory tree that can survive just fine out in the opened , C. floridais versatile in the landscape .
It looks right at home in woodland and native gardens , and fits in spaces where larger Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree wo n’t .
For fan of fauna as well as flora , C. floridaattracts pollinator with its flowers , while its fruit pull birds and various mammals .
A Dogwood Pun? But Wouldn’t That Be Cornus?
I ’m regretful , but I had to .
anyhow , now you could grow the blossom dogwood ! It ’s gorgeous , versatile , and though it may put your plant wellness care skills to the tryout , most would agree it ’s worth the problem .
Plus , it ’s a little slice of fantastic Missouri that you’re able to put in your landscape … which , I ’ll allow , I say with a heavy bias .
concerned ingrowing some other dogwood tree diagram ? Then have a look at these guides :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more particular . Originally release February 5th , 2023 . Last updated March 9th , 2025 . Product picture via Arbico Organics , Enviro Pro , FastGrowingTrees.com , Home Depot , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
