Flowering dogwood is a small to medium woodland understory tree, native throughout most of the eastern United States.
Showy white, red, or pink flowering bracts appear before the leaves in early spring. Dark green summer foliage turns a brilliant reddish-purple in fall.
Flowering dogwood is sensitive to adverse soil and environmental conditions such as road salt and pollution. It is best planted in acidic soil.
Flowering dogwood is native to the Chicago region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research.
More Information
Native Geographic Location and Habitat
C-Value: 9. Flowering dogwood is native to much of the eastern United States and is common in wooded areas.
Bark Description
The mature bark of flowering dogwood is gray-brown and blocky and when shed it reveals a dark inner bark.
Leaf Description
The leaves of flowering dogwood are opposite, simple, and rounded with a pointed tip. They are pale green with wavy leaf margins and veins growing toward the tip of the leaf without running to the edge.
Flower Description
Flowers appear large because of the four white bracts. True flowers are clustered in the center of bracts. Flower buds are a small button-like bud at the tips of branches. Leaf buds are flattened and reddish in color.
Fruit and Seed Description
Clusters of bright red fruit ripen in July through August.
Care Knowledge
Plant Care
This tree tends to develop problems in heavy clay soil. It prefers acid soil and gets chlorotic symptoms (pale green leaves) in high pH soils. It has a shallow root system and benefits from a few inches of mulch to moderate soil temperature fluctuations. It is also beneficial to shelter the plant from wind. It is considered borderline hardy in the Chicago area and flowers on old wood so harsh winters can damage flower buds.
Pests, Diseases, and Tolerances
Poorly drained soils, wind, salt, and drought stress predispose this plant to insect and disease problems. Borers and cankers are possible problems. Anthracnose (Discula) is a very serious problem in some parts of the United States. Flowering dogwood is tolerant of black walnut toxicity.
Cultivars
Some cultivars may be difficult to find in the nursery trade.
Cherokee Chief flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’)
This dogwood has an upright rounded habit reaching 20 feet high and wide with rose-red to ruby-red flowers.
Cloud 9 flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Cloud 9’)
This cultivar is broadly rounded reaching 15 feet high and 20 feet wide with white flowers.
Dwarf Red flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Red Pygmy’)
This is a dwarf form dogwood with an upright habit reaching 5 to 6 feet high and wide. It has pinkish-red bracts and is good for containers.
Stellar Pink flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Stellar Pink’)
This cultivar is rounded, growing 20 feet high and wide with pink flowers.
Sweetwater Red flowering dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Sweetwater Red’)
This is an upright, rounded cultivar reaching 20 feet high and 15 feet wide. Its reddish foliage turns to burgundy in the fall.
