Garden Heights Features...
Dogwood and Astilbe
Spring 2004
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.

Cloud Nine

Stellar Pink
 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.

Cherokee Brave

White Kousa Dogwood
 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 white 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.
Astilbe
Astilbes are much admired for their feathery plumes and attractive foliage. Long-lasting, astilbe foliage and abundance of plumes give character and color all summer long to those shady areas in your garden. Astilbe are easy-to-grow and great for the perennial garden in bed plantings or even as additional color for containers.

Easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soils in part to full shade. Prefers moist, humusy, organically rich soils. Soils must not be allowed to dry out. If regularly watered, foliage will usually remain attractive throughout the growing season. A summer compost mulch helps retain soil moisture. Removing faded flower stalks will not prolong bloom but may improve plant appearance, particularly if a ground cover look is desired. On the other hand, many gardeners leave the flower stalks in place after bloom because of the continuing ornamental interest of the dried seed heads. Divide clumps when overcrowding occurs (every 3-4 years)

Visions

Pink Astilbe
Astilbes are mainstays of shade and woodland gardens. The flower plumes which appear in June and into July come in a variety of colors ranging from pink, white, red and purple. The most common varieties grow to a height of about a foot and a half, but there are also taller types which may reach five feet for the background, and little 6 inch dwarfs which make nice groundcovers. Even when they are not in bloom, the foliage stays attractive throughout the summer, making them very effective as a border plant, in the shade garden, or at the side of your garden pond.

White Astilbe


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