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, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 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.
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