Dogwood
Cornus
florida
Mature
Height: 30 ft.
Growth Rate: Slow to moderate
Light Requirements: Best in part shade (but can also
be grown in full sun)
Foliage: Deciduous, opposite mid-green leaves turns brilliant
red in fall
Flower/Fruit: White or pink bracts of four petals with
yellow centers in March/April, red berries in fall
Hardy to Zone 5
I
cannot imagine a spring without the dogwoods blooming. They are
anticipated here in the South about as much as the azaleas. I
was fortunate to have many semi-mature dogwoods on my property
when I moved in. This is a native tree to the Eastern United States
and commonly grows as understory trees in forests. They make a
showy appearance in early spring when their white or pink blossoms
appear before the leaves.
The
dogwood is an excellent tree that offers much more than their
spring blossoms. They have an unusual shape (with gnarled branches
growing more horizontally than vertically) and the fall coloring
of the leaves and berries is very dramatic. Over the past several
decades, many dogwoods in the wild have suffered from a deadly
disease called anthracnose. However, anthracnose tends to spread
on trees in shady moist woods and forests in higher elevations
and not in suburban areas. (If you need more information about
anthracnose, check
out this link). This should not deter you from growing dogwoods
in your garden. They are excellent trees for patios, naturalized
areas or as specimen trees. Growth can be slow and I have found
that buying larger trees is often beneficial to smaller ones.
And always choose healthy specimens. Plant them in well-drained,
moist soils preferably in a partly shady spot. Some of the best
cultivars are "Cherokee Princess" (blooms at an early
age with large white flowers), "Cherokee Sunset" (pink),
"Cherokee Chief" (dark pink), "Cherokee Daybreak"
(white with variegated leaves), "Cloud Nine" (white)
and "Rubra" (pink).
