Garden Heights features Dazzling Dogwoods

April 2007

When Flowering Dogwoods are in bloom, they lights up the springtime landscape. Flowering dogwood is the Missouri State tree, and may be the most beautiful of the native American flowering trees. Commonly seen in the wild in central and southern Missouri, it is a small, deciduous tree which typically grows 15-30' (infrequently to 40') with a low-branching, broadly pyramidal but somewhat flat-topped habit. Blooms in early spring shortly after, but usually overlapping, the bloom period of the redbuds. The true dogwood flowers are actually tiny, yellowish green and insignificant, being compacted into button-like clusters. Each flower cluster is surrounded by four showy, white, petal-like bracts which open flat, giving the appearance of a single, large, 3-4" diameter, four-petaled, white flower. In autumn, the oval, dark green leaves (3-6" long) gradually change to a uniform scarlet red. Bright red fruits (poisonous to humans, but loved by birds) mature in early fall and usually persist until the middle of December.

Cornus Florida 'Cloud Nine'

Cornus Florida Rubra

Flowering dogwood is one of the most popular ornamental specimen trees in eastern North America. Use dogwood as a framing tree or as a background tree. They are excellent beneath large oaks or pines. Dogwoods are among the earliest springtime bloomers, brightening the landscape along with azaleas, spireas, forsythias and redbuds. With its dense crown, flowering dogwood provides good shade, and due to its small stature, it is useful in the smallest yards.

The graceful yet compact shape and brilliant springtime blooms make this a favorite landscape tree throughout its range. The flowering dogwood is one of the finest flowering tree you can find. It is beautiful in all seasons and even though it is used frequently in home landscapes, it never seems to be overplanted.

Grow in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers organically rich, acidic soils in part shade. Benefits from a 4-6" mulch which will help keep roots cool and moist in summer.

Dogwoods like partial or broken shade, but flowering dogwood can tolerate full sun, too. It does best with some shade in the south and full sun in the north.
Established trees are tolerant of normal dry periods, but will need additional watering during extreme droughts. Stress of any kind makes dogwoods susceptible to diseases.

Cornus Flordida 'Cherokee Brave'

Cornus Kousa 'Galzam'

Kousa Dogwood (sometimes commonly called Japanese dogwood) is a small, deciduous flowering tree or large multi-stemmed shrub which typically grows 15-30’ tall with a vase-shaped habit in the early years, eventually maturing to a more rounded habit. As in the case of flowering dogwood, the showy parts of the Kousa dogwood flower (3-5" across) are the four petal-like bracts which surround the center cluster of insignificant, yellowish-green, true flowers. However, the showy bracts of Kousa are narrowly pointed whereas the bracts of flowering dogwood are rounded. Bloom occurs in late spring (several weeks after flowering dogwood). Flowers are followed by berry-like fruits (to 1" diameter) which mature to a pinkish red in summer and persist into fall. Dark green foliage turns reddish purple to scarlet in autumn.

A stunning flowering tree or large shrub with good fall color. Plant as a specimen or in small groupings on residential property around homes, near patios or in lawns. Also effective in shrub borders, woodland gardens, bird gardens or naturalized areas.

Cornus Kousa 'Milkey Way'

Cornus Kousa 'Satomi'

Cornus alternifolia, or Pagoda Dogwood is an attractive tree noted for its layered horizontal branching structure.

Pagoda Dogwood is an excellent relatively small tree or large shrub that can be grown either as a single or multi-trunked specimen. General crown form is oval to round but it has a unique horizontally layered branching structure which accounts for its common name. It has 3-4" flat clusters of small yellowish-white flowers in late spring (May to June). Fruit are small blue-black berries that add considerable color in summer as they mature. The fruit are readily eaten by birds. The fall foliage color is a deep burgandy. The plant form adds a great deal of interest to the winter landscape. Pagoda Dogwood is native to much of the upper midwest where it is found as an understory plant in wooded areas.

Cornus alternafolia or Pagoda Dogwood

Pagoda Dogwood Flower

The low maintenance Pagoda does well in part shade and prefers organically rich, medium wet, well-drained soil. It will grow 15-20' tall by 20-25' wide.

Most species of dogwood have opposite leaves. The elliptic-ovate, medium green leaves (to 3.5” long) of the pagoda dogwood are alternate.

Plant as a specimen or in small groupings around homes, near patios or in lawns. Also effective in shrub borders, woodland gardens, bird gardens or naturalized areas.

Cornus Rutgan 'Stellar Pink'

Rutgers Stellar series

Through the breeding efforts of Dr. Elwin Orton, Rutgers University has introduced hybrids of Cornus florida and Cornus kousa, known as Rutgers Stellar series. The hybrids start blooming after Cornus florida finishes and produce no fruit. They are highly resistant to dogwood borer and moderately to highly resistant to dogwood anthracnose. They reach an average height of 20 to 30 feet with a 15- to 25-foot spread. The hybrids are more vigorous than the parent trees with characteristics that are intermediate between the parents. The white bracts are rounded and the flower buds are not entirely enclosed by bud scales when dormant.

These low maintenance dogwoods prefer to grow in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. They prefer organically rich, acidic soils in part shade and will benefit from a 4-6" mulch which will help keep roots cool and moist in summer.

Cornus Rutgan 'Celestial'

Cornus alba 'Arctic Fire'

Cornus sericea 'Arctic Fire'
ARCTIC FIRE is a dwarf redtwig dogwood cultivar that is primarily grown for its bright red winter stems which are particularly showy against a snowy backdrop. It typically grows to 3-4’ tall and as wide with dense stems. It lacks the stoloniferous, spreading habit of the species. Tiny white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters (to 2.5” diameter) in late spring, with sparse, intermittent, additional flowering sometimes continuing into summer. Flowers give way to clusters of whitish (sometimes with a bluish tinge) drupes in late summer. Fruit is quite attractive to birds and is generally considered to have as much if not more ornamental interest than the flowers. However, it is the red winter stems that really distinguish this shrub. Ovate to lanceolate, dark green leaves (2-4” long). Leaves turn reddish purple in autumn. U. S. Plant Patent Applied For (PPAF).

This deciduous shrub is best grown in organically rich, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade.
Excellent dwarf selection for smaller gardens. Mass in areas where the red stems in winter can be enjoyed. Effective in shrub borders where plants can be combined with evergreens or yellow twig dogwoodsfor interesting winter contrast.

The 'Ivory Halo' is a tatarian dogwood cultivar that is noted for its compact size, variegated (white-edged) leaves and bright red twigs in winter. It is a rapid-growing, multi-stemmed, suckering, deciduous shrub that grows to a maximum size of 5-6' tall and wide on erect, usually unbranched stems. It boasts outstanding bright red winter stems which are particularly showy against a snowy backdrop and elliptic, medium/dark green leaves which are edged with white. Tiny, yellowish-white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters (to 2.5" diameter) in late spring.

Cornus alba 'Ivory Halo'

Cornus sericea 'Silver and Gold'

Cornus sericea 'Silver and Gold' is a yellowtwig dogwood cultivar that is primarily grown for its bold variegated foliage much like the Ivory Halo above and its yellow winter stems. This is a suckering shrub that typically grows to 5-7’ tall by 6-8’ wide. Ovate to lanceolate, silvery green leaves (2-4” long) are variegated with irregular creamy white margins. Leaves turn yellow in autumn. The stems turn bright yellow in winter and are particularly showy against a snowy backdrop. Silver and Gold has tiny white flat-topped clustered flowers in late spring, with sparse, intermittent, additional flowering sometimes continuing into summer. Flowers give way to clusters of whitish (sometimes with a bluish tinge) drupes in late summer. Fruit is quite attractive to birds and is generally considered to have as much if not more ornamental interest than the flowers. ‘Silver and Gold’ is a sport of C. sericea ‘Flaviramea’ (see C340). Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal winner (1990).

Silver and Gold is excellent massed or as a specimen. It is effective in shrub borders where plants can be combined with evergreens or redtwig dogwoods for interesting winter contrast. It is also effective in naturalistic plantings in moist soils where plants can be allowed to spread and form thickets. Plants perform very well in wet locations such as low spots or along streams or ponds where spreading roots can help combat soil erosion. May also be used as a property line screen.

1605 South Big Bend Blvd
Richmond Heights, Missouri 63117
314-645-SEED • fax-314-645-0121