Best Care For Dogwood Trees For Charming Blooms And Bright Stems

Caring for dogwoods is easy and they require only a little maintenance to thrive. Learn how to care for this classic ornamental tree.

White flowers on dogwood tree with bright blue sky behind
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Quick Facts

Botanical name: Cornus florida

Height: 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9.1 m)

Spread: 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9.1 m)

Sun exposure: Partial shade

Soil requirements: Moist, well-draining, acidic

Hardiness zones: USDA zones 5 - 9

When to plant: Spring or early fall

Flowering dogwood trees are small deciduous trees native to eastern North America. They develop showy blooms in spring and grow well in partial shade and woodland areas. Dogwoods grow up to 30 feet (9.1 m) tall and have a pyramidal, but flat-topped growth habit.

Care for dogwood trees begins with providing the right conditions. With this in mind, they require only a little maintenance to stay healthy.

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How To Care For Dogwood Trees

Care for dogwood trees depends on providing them with the best conditions. Dogwoods are woodland understory plants. They grow best with some shade. While they can grow in full sun, they will not perform as well.

Dogwood is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9. It tolerates cold temperatures well but will not grow well if winter temperatures regularly drop below -15 degrees Fahrenheit (-26 Celsius). High temperatures and drought in summer can also be stressful for dogwood.

Water dogwood trees regularly during the first two seasons after planting, then water only during periods of drought. Avoid over-fertilizing young dogwoods. A light application of general fertilizer in spring is adequate. Better care for new dogwood trees is to add compost to the soil for planting.

When And How To Plant Dogwood

Plant new dogwood trees in spring or fall. If planting in the fall, allow four to six weeks before the first frost to help it get established. Choose a location with at least some shade and enough room to grow. Afternoon shade is best in hotter climates. The location should also have good drainage.

Pink flowering dogwood tree

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How To Prune Dogwood Trees

Care for flowering dogwood trees includes pruning, although it isn’t required often. Trim off broken, dead, or diseased branches any time of year. Otherwise, you don’t need to prune dogwood trees heavily. Occasionally remove branches to increase airflow and light to the interior of the tree. Do this in the dormant season.

Problems, Pests & Diseases

A dogwood tree should thrive if given the right conditions, but stressed dogwoods are susceptible to several diseases and pests:

  • Dogwood anthracnose
  • Powdery mildew
  • Leaf spot
  • Canker
  • Leaf blight
  • Root rot
  • Borers
  • Leafminers
  • Scale

Dogwood anthracnose is a growing problem. If you suspect your tree has it, contact your local extension office for advice. Signs of this disease include spots on leaves and cankers on stems. Other problems that can cause a dogwood tree to not blossom include too much nitrogen in the soil, incorrect light, and improper pruning.

Propagating Dogwood Trees

Gardener pruning small tree

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The best way to propagate dogwood is by taking cuttings. Remove softwood cuttings, the new growth seen in June or July. A cutting should be at least six inches (15 cm) long. Remove all but one pair of leaves from the cutting.

Lightly score the end of the cutting and dip it in a rooting hormone. Place the cutting in a moist medium and keep it moist and warm. Roots can take five to ten weeks to develop.

Best Dogwood Tree Varieties

There are 17 species of dogwood trees native to North America. These are some notable dogwood cultivars to try:

  • ‘Appalachian Joy.’ This white-blooming variety is easier to grow than others. It is less picky about conditions and better resists some of the species’ common diseases and pests, including dogwood anthracnose.
  • ‘Cloud 9.’ This cultivar has recently been found to be the same genetically ‘Barton’s White.’ They both flower heavily and earlier in spring than other varieties. They have some resistance to powdery mildew.
  • ‘Cherokee Chief.’ This is a cultivar of the pink-flowering subspecies rubra. ‘Cherokee Chief’ has striking red flowers and burgundy foliage in fall. Care for a pink dogwood tree is the same as that of more traditional white varieties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Coffee Grounds Help Dogwood Trees?

Coffee grounds can help acidify the soil, which benefits dogwood trees. On the other hand, they are also nitrogen-rich, so too much in the soil will limit flowering.

How Do You Rejuvenate a Dogwood Tree?

Care for dogwood bushes that produce colorful winter stems like red twig dogwood requires rejuvenation pruning. This hard pruning stimulates it to produce more stems. Do this in late winter or early spring, before leaves appear. Dogwood trees do not need a lot of pruning, but you can remove several branches on an overgrown specimen to stimulate new growth.

Are Dogwood Trees High Maintenance?

Dogwood trees are relatively low maintenance, but they do require some regular pruning to remain healthy.

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Mary Ellen Ellis
Mary Ellen Ellis
Writer

Mary Ellen Ellis has been gardening for over 20 years. With degrees in Chemistry and Biology, Mary Ellen's specialties are flowers, native plants, and herbs.

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