Flowering dogwood

About Flowering dogwood

Flowering dogwood is a native understory tree. Its white or pink 'flowers' are really four showy bracts around a button of tiny true flowers, opening in early spring before the leaves. Red fall leaves and glossy red berries follow, and songbirds, turkeys, squirrels and many other animals eat the fruit. NC State calls it tricky in hot, dry or city sites.

Zones 5-9 (NC State). In the Piedmont and on the coast it does best with afternoon shade.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Plant container or balled-and-burlapped trees. Container trees can go in any time the ground can be worked, but fall is the best season in the South because roots keep growing through mild weather (Clemson). Dig the hole no deeper than the root ball and at least twice as wide, keep the top roots level with the soil, and mulch 2-4 inches without touching the trunk. It does not tolerate air pollution well (NC State).

Soil

Well-drained soil high in organic matter, slightly acidic to neutral; a 2-4 inch mulch layer keeps the shallow roots cool and moist (NC State).

Test the soil first. Loosen a wide planting area and mix 10-20 percent compost into the native soil you dig out; don't use uncomposted bark, and don't dig deeper than the root ball (Clemson). Aim for slightly acidic to neutral soil high in organic matter (NC State).

Feeding

• Spring to early summer, after the tree is established, and only if a soil test or pale leaves and weak twig growth show a need: slow-release nitrogen fertilizer with a ratio near 3-1-1 or 3-1-2 (3-0-1 or 3-0-2 if the soil test shows enough phosphorus). Spread it evenly from just outside the trunk flare to the dripline and water it in. Clemson cites 2-4 lb of slow-release nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year, split into a spring and a late-summer feeding; follow your soil test.
• Late summer to early fall, the second half of the year's split feeding (only if a soil test calls for it): slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, same as spring. Apply the rest of the year's amount over the root zone and water in. Don't feed a drought-stressed tree in summer (Clemson).

First-year watering matters far more than fertilizer: water daily for the first 1-2 weeks, every 2-3 days until week 12, then weekly, using about 1-1.5 gallons per inch of trunk diameter, until the tree is established, roughly 1.5 years per inch of trunk (UMN). Don't count on rain unless it was over an inch. Keep 2-4 inches of mulch over the shallow roots so they stay cool and moist in summer. It does not handle air pollution or hot, dry city sites well (NC State). Too much fertilizer can burn roots and push soft growth that pests and cold injure (Clemson).

Harvest

Blooms in early spring (March-May) before the leaves; no deadheading needed. Red berries ripen August-October; they are bitter and meant for birds, not people (NC State).

Varieties (14)

NC State documents these; disease resistance noted where the source gives it.

Pests to watch for

Dogwood borer, Scale insects, Leafhoppers, Sawflies (garden sawflies)

Diseases and problems

Dogwood anthracnose, Spot anthracnose, Powdery mildew, Bacterial leaf scorch, Canker, Root rot, Leaf spot, Drought stress, Leaf scorch, Road salt injury, Girdling roots

In the kitchen

Safety: NC State describes the berries as bitter and not edible for people.

Pets: Not on the ASPCA's toxic plant list for dogs.