Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
The spring event of the East: white bracts glow under the canopy in late April. Fall berries vanish to bluebirds and thrushes within days.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The tree that defines spring in eastern North America. no other native flowering tree stops people in their tracks the way dogwood does in April.
Flowering dogwood is the spring event in eastern North America. The white or pink bracts open in late April, not petals but modified leaves surrounding tiny true flowers at the center, and the effect is cloud-like, horizontal, layered. Under a canopy of taller trees it glows. In morning light it almost vibrates. This is the tree that stops traffic in April, the one people move houses to have in their yard. Red berries ripen in fall and are taken within days by migrating thrushes, bluebirds, and waxwings. The horizontal branching structure is distinctive year-round and one of the finest winter silhouettes in the native tree palette. This is the quintessential eastern understory tree, beautiful in every season, deeply woven into the ecology and the culture of the region.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown flowering dogwood propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 10–20 ft · 10–20 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Cornaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for flowering dogwood.
Part shade in the South (morning sun, afternoon shade), full sun in the North. Moist, well-drained acidic soil. Mulch to keep roots cool and moist. Do not compact soil around roots. Water during drought. Anthracnose can be a problem on stressed trees. siting in good air circulation reduces risk. Avoid wounding the bark. Native dogwood deserves its own dedicated spot, not squeezed into a bed.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside flowering dogwood.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.