Sometimes considered the most spectacular of the native, flowering trees, flowering dogwood has long-lasting, showy, spring blooms. Has a short trunk and spreading crown with nearly horizontal branches. Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, organically rich, acidic soils in part shade. Benefits from a 2-4” mulch which will help keep roots cool and moist in summer.
Cornus florida typically grows 15-30’ tall with a low-branching, broadly-pyramidal but somewhat flat-topped habit. It arguably may be the most beautiful of the native American flowering trees. It blooms in early spring (April) shortly after, but usually overlapping, the bloom period of redbuds. The actual dogwood flowers are tiny, yellowish green formed in button-like clusters at the center of their colored petal-like sepals. Bright red fruits are bitter and inedible to humans (some authors say poisonous) but are loved by birds. Fruits mature in late summer to early fall and may persist until late in the year.
Larval Host for the
15-30'
15-30'
SIZE
SOIL
Dry, Moist, Acidic, Well-drained, Sandy, Loam, Rich
LIGHT
Shade, Part Shade
BENEFITS
Birds, Butterfiles
NOTES
The hard wood is extremely shock-resistant and useful for making weaving-shuttles. It is also made into spools, small pulleys, mallet heads, and jeweler's blocks.
CHARACTERISTICS
Showy, Good Fall Color, Tolerates Clay, Tolerates Black Walnut, Tolerates Deer
April, May
Small Tree
This
flowers in
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
DETAIL VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Sometimes considered the most spectacular of the native, flowering trees, flowering dogwood has long-lasting, showy, spring blooms. Has a short trunk and spreading crown with nearly horizontal branches. Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, organically rich, acidic soils in part shade. Benefits from a 2-4” mulch which will help keep roots cool and moist in summer.
Cornus florida typically grows 15-30’ tall with a low-branching, broadly-pyramidal but somewhat flat-topped habit. It arguably may be the most beautiful of the native American flowering trees. It blooms in early spring (April) shortly after, but usually overlapping, the bloom period of redbuds. The actual dogwood flowers are tiny, yellowish green formed in button-like clusters at the center of their colored petal-like sepals. Bright red fruits are bitter and inedible to humans (some authors say poisonous) but are loved by birds. Fruits mature in late summer to early fall and may persist until late in the year.