Flowering Dogwoods Showing Off Now

The dogwoods are blooming right on schedule. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is native to the eastern half of the United States, including north Florida and portions of central Florida.

The showy white bracts add brilliance to both native woodlands and urban landscapes for about 2 weeks during early spring. Cultivars with pink or red bracts grow poorly in Florida, except in some of the cooler regions.

Flowering dogwoods also add fall color. The amount of fall leaf color depends upon the amount of sunlight that is received and other factors. Plants grown in full sun produce red to maroon fall leaf color.

Bright red fruit is produced on older plants. The berries are about ¼ inch in diameter and are produced in clusters of 2 to 16. They are not only attractive during the winter months, but are a food source for some birds.

Dogwoods have many uses in the landscape. Properly placed plants can soften the vertical lines of a small home or provide a background for other plants such as azaleas. Branches on the lower half of the crown grow horizontally, while those in the upper half are more upright. In time this characteristic can lend a striking horizontal impact to the landscape.

Flowering dogwood is an understory tree in nature. This means that they are usually associated with and protected by larger trees. Not surprisingly, this species is often used on the edge of wooded areas or in groups which provide mutual shading. Other uses include shade for a patio or deck, to add spring and fall color in a shrub border or as a specimen in the lawn or groundcover bed.

Dogwood Growing at a Glance

• Choose locally grown trees, or at least trees that were grown within the same general latitude, if possible.

• Dogwoods will grow in sun or shade. Shaded trees will be less dense, grow more quickly and taller. Sun grown trees are more dense, produce more flowers and better fall color.

• Homeowners, unless experienced at transplanting, should purchase and establish container grown trees in the 5 to 7 foot tall range. Greater success is common with smaller trees with trunk diameters of less than 1 inch. Special techniques are required to move dogwoods from the wild.

• Planting depth is critical. The dogwood is very sensitive to excessively deep planting. Trees should be planted in a hole as deep as the top of the rootball, no deeper. On poorly drained or compacted soil, plant even more shallow, leaving a small portion of the top of the root ball above ground.

• Maintain a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch on the soil surface beneath the newly planted tree. Use a coarse, undecomposed material such as pine needles or bark. Keep the mulch pulled back from the stem base so that it doesn’t touch it.

• Dogwoods are not tolerant of extended drought periods, especially during the first year after transplanting. For the first few weeks after planting, small amounts of water should be applied to the root ball every day.

• Over-fertilization can injure a young dogwood. If you wish to fertilize within a year after transplanting, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer to the top of the root ball.

• Don’t use “weed and feed” and other weed control products within the root zone of dogwoods. They are very shallow rooted and can be damaged, especially if the application is followed by heavy rains.

• Though various pests sometimes cause problems, the dogwood borer is most common. These larvae enter the tree near the base, primarily through wounds. Avoid bumping and bruising the base of trees with lawn mowers or other equipment. String trimmers can also open wounds that are later infested with borers.