Cornus florida
Flowering Dogwood
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Gets 15-40' tall & 15-40' wide. 20-30' tall and wide would be typical in many landscapes. Can be a shrub, usually a small, low-branched tree w/ strongly horizontal branches & flat-topped. Slow growth rate upon transplanting, gradually becoming medium when established. Can live 100-200 years in good growing conditions.
Native Range
Kentucky Native — Massachusetts to Florida, west to Ontario, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico. Cultivated since 1731.
Flower and Fruit Details
Monoecious, true flowers are tiny, greenish-yellow, 1/4" across, clustered upright along stems. The showy parts are actually bracts (not petals), 4 of them, each 2" long, ovate, white/cream color, opening in April/May, before the leaves, for 10-14 days. Fruits are glossy, red, ovoid, drupes, 0.33" to 0.5" long, 3-4 to a cluster, September-December.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves are opposite, simple, ovate, 3-6" long, 1.5-3" wide, acuminate, dark green above, undersides glaucous with pubescent veins. Leaves have 6 or 7 pairs of veins, and a petiole that is 1/4-3/4" long. New leaves unfold bronze-green to yellow-green. Reliable, long-lasting, early red to reddish purple fall foliage color. Stresses on plant cause earlier fall color. Notable Bark: Bark on young stems and twigs is greenish to reddish-brown to reddish-purple. Older wood and trunk become a grayish-brown to black, with an alligator hide appearance, broken into small, square to rectangular blocks.
Culture and Care
Prefers moist, acid (pH 5.5-6.5), organic, well-drained soil. Best in some shade. Zones 5-9. Very shade tolerant, but not tolerant of drought, pollution, or flooding. Mulch is beneficial to keep roots cool and moist in summer. Sensitive to soil compaction & 2,4-D herbicide drift. Susceptible to dogwood borers, petal and leaf spots, powdery mildew, leaf and stem anthracnose. Discula fungus has weakened or killed many. Many other problems attack this species, especially when under stress.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
One of the most popular dogwoods, with many cultivars available from white to red flowers, and white-green or yellow-green variegated leaves. Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter. 43 different bird species feed on this plant.
Suggested Uses
Makes a good specimen, patio tree, corner planting, park tree, group plantings, against evergreens or dark-colored buildings.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Cornus florida 'Appalachian Spring' // Appalachian Spring Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Disease-resistant to the deadly Discula Dogwood Anthracnose fungus disease. Upright grower to 20-30'. Collected for its disease resistance from the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. White, non-overlapping flower bracts. Dark green leaves. Red fall color.
BT001796Cornus florida 'Cherokee Daybreak' // Cherokee Daybreak Flowering Dogwood
Tree. White flower bracts. Leaves are green with yellowish-white margins, and the leaves hold color without scorching in hot weather. Fall color is pink to deep-red/purple. Average mature size 15-30' tall and wide. Habit is vigorous and upright. Tolerates clay soils and close proximity to black walnut trees (juglone). Shows resistance to the deadly dogwood anthracnose disease. Introduced in 1988.
BT002500 - BT002510 - BT002520Cornus florida 'Cherokee Princess' // Cherokee Princess Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Early and heavy flowering, with large white flower bracts, each individual bract over 2" long, creating an overall "flower structure" that is 5" across. Flowers reliably every year. Average mature size is 20' tall and wide. This cultivar is more resistant to powdery mildew, spot anthracnose and stem canker. Overall, this is definitely one of the very best of all the flowering dogwood cultivars. Good winter hardiness. Introduced by J.C. Higden of Mayfield, Kentucky. Growth habit is densely branched and broad-spreading.
BT001070
Cornus florida 'Cloud 9' // Cloud 9 Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Showy, white, overlapping flower bracts. Average mature size 15-20' tall and wide. Slow growing. This cultivar is more resistant to canker and powdery mildew, but still susceptible to spot anthracnose. Flowers profusely at an early age. Very cold hardy. Habit is spreading to somewhat globe-shaped. Overall, one of the best of all flowering dogwoods. Patented by Chase Nursery, in Chase, Alabama, in 1961. A heavy-flowered, reliable bloomer from year to year. The nectar and pollen of the flowers attracts butterflies.
BT002430 - BT002440Cornus florida 'Grovflor' // Spring Grove™ Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Large, white flower bracts to 5". Very heavy producer of flowers, and thus a heavy fruit set. Medium green leaves turn reddish-purple in fall. Two to three terminal flower buds on each branch. Parent plant originated as a seedling at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH, and has grown to 22' by 32' at 45 years of age, and has survived -26°F.
BT001087 - BT001321Cornus florida 'Karen's Appalachian Blush' // Karen's Appalachian Blush Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Showy, very large, white, floppy flower bracts are edged in pink, and they do not overlap. Grows 20' high and wide. Red fruits persist Sept-December, attractive to songbirds. Somewhat mildew resistant. Introduced by the University of Tennessee. Best used as a specimen plant against a dark background to accentuate the showy spring flowers.
BT001836Cornus florida var. rubra // Pink Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Pink-to-reddish-pink flower bracts. Average landscape size 20-30' tall and wide. Flowers are less cold hardy than the white flowers of the species, but is resistant to canker. Moderately susceptible to spot anthracnose. First discovered in Virginia.
BT001538 - BT002450 - BT002470Cornus florida var. rubra 'Cherokee Chief' // Cherokee Chief Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Ruby-red to deep rose-red flower bracts, and new growth (foliage) is reddish. Average mature size 15-30' tall and wide. Undesirable spotting may occur on the bracts, especially in the South. Amount of sun exposure affects redness of the bracts. A strong grower, with uniform branching. Moderate resistance to powdery mildew. This is one of the most popular of the red-bracted forms, introduced in 1958 by Ike Hawkersmith of Winchester, Tennessee. Tolerant of clay soils and juglone from black walnut trees nearby.
BT001050 - BT001060 - BT001120Cornus florida var. rubra 'Cherokee Sunset' // Cherokee Sunset Flowering Dogwood
Tree. Red flower bracts. New leaves pinkish red-tipped, maturing to green with a broad irregular margin of yellow, which does not scorch or burn in the summer. Fall foliage colors include pink, red and purple. A very vigorous grower, and very resistant to anthracnose. 20-30' tall and wide.
BT001080 - BT001095b - BT001097
