The Lovely Dogwood

What would the month of April be without the lovely Dogwood?  A sure sign that spring has arrived, these small trees (15’-25’) grace woodlands and gardens alike across the Triangle.  The native dogwood, Cornus florida, smothers itself in white or pink blooms (technically the small true flowers are in the center of the colorful petal-like bracts.)  On top of the spring show, their autumn foliage is a showy red with bright red, bird attracting fruit to boot.  In the wild, dogwoods are most often found on the margins of woodlands so landscape conditions which are similar – partial or bright shade – are going to be the most successful locations to grow one.  Dogwoods can be a little finicky to get established.  Good drainage is key, and a soil slightly acidic and rich in organic matter, like their native woodland, is also helpful. 

We love dogwoods so much that we carry 22 different varieties here at Kiefer’s.  Many are from the U of TN’s Appalachian series which exhibit resistance to powdery mildew while the variety ‘Appalachian Spring’ is also resistant to Dogwood Anthracnose (more problematic at higher elevations.)  Another series we carry was developed at Rutgers.  These hybrids cross our native flowering dogwood with the Kousa dogwood resulting in some anthracnose resistant cultivars typically flowering a little later in spring along with the emerging foliage, like their Kousa parents.  They all have stars or constellations in the name and are a great way to extend the dogwood season!  We also offer several varieties with eye-catching variegated foliage, and even a weeping dogwood.

So, short story (after all that, ha!) – beautiful multi-season interest small tree well worth any effort it might take to get one established.  Plant one – you’ll be glad you did when each spring rolls around.  As will your neighbors and passersby