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Jul 25, 2023

11 Types of Dogwood Trees and Shrubs

Here's how to choose and care for the right dogwood for your yard or garden. After a long, dark winter, most of us are ready for colorful spring flowers and blooming trees. One of the most iconic

Here's how to choose and care for the right dogwood for your yard or garden.

After a long, dark winter, most of us are ready for colorful spring flowers and blooming trees.

One of the most iconic spring-flowering trees in the landscape is the dogwood. In fact, there are 17 different types of dogwood trees and shrubs (Cornus spp) that grow in North America.

“They range from ground cover-like plants to large trees,” says Ben Chu, horticulture manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden. “They grow well in many different conditions in average soil, and some types are shade-tolerant.”

Dogwoods are especially appealing because they remind us that spring has arrived in all its glory. “Few trees rival the native dogwood for beauty when it's loaded with the floral bracts,” says Tom Molnar, PhD, associate professor in plant biology at Rutgers University of New Jersey. “It’s one of spring’s first flowering trees.”

Dogwoods are typically easy to grow. Their blooms occur from early to mid-spring, depending on the variety. Flowers last two to three weeks.

Most dogwoods prefer some afternoon shade, especially in warmer climates, says Molnar. Mulching them also keeps them happy. Just make sure not to stack mulch right up against the trunk, which invites disease. (Here's an easy way to calculate how much mulch you need for your garden.)

They’re also fairly long-lived trees. A well-cared-for dogwood can thrive for 50 or more years.

“Make sure to give them plenty of room to grow,” says Molnar. “don’t try to squeeze them into an area between the sidewalk and the street.” They don’t like hot, dry conditions or heat radiating from pavement, and they do better with good air circulation around them to help them resist diseases.

Dogwoods are deciduous (meaning they drop all their leaves in the fall). Depending on the variety, they have some fall color in shades of deep burgundy to pale yellow, all of which can add to your garden’s plant palate, says Chu.

Some of the shrubby types are grown more for winter color because they have bright red or yellow stems that are striking against a backdrop of snow. (Here are our favorite Plants to Beautify a Winter Landscape.)

When shopping, make sure to choose one that is suited to withstand winters in your USDA Hardiness zone. (Find yours here.)

Read on to learn more about common dogwood varieties you’ll find in garden centers and nurseries:

Most people are familiar with this native tree, which blooms before the leaves appear in early spring, says Molnar.

The tiny yellowish-green flowers are surrounded by four showy, white, blush or pink petal-like bracts, which open flat and appear like one large white flower.

Native Area: Eastern North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9Size: 15 to 30 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Kousa dogwoods are stunning in full bloom, blooming about a month after Cornus florida and after the leaves have developed.

They are more disease-resistant than Cornus florida, which tends to be vulnerable to diseases such as powdery mildew, says Molnar.

Native Area: AsiaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8Size: 15 to 30 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Bred from Cornus florida and Cornus kousa, this hybrid is more resistant to disease and blooms two weeks after Cornus florida and two weeks before Cornus kousa, so you can enjoy dogwood flowers for a much longer period of time, says Molnar.

One of the most popular cultivars is ‘Stellar Pink.’

Native Area: Hybrid of native dogwood and Kousa (Asian)USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9Size: 10 to 20 tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Bunchberry is a low-growing plant that works well as a groundcover in part shade. Its foliage and berries do resemble those of dogwood trees, and it does best in cooler climates, says Chu.

Native Area: Asia, Greenland, and northern North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 6Size: 4 to 9 inches tall and 12 inches wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This shrubby plant, also known as European dogwood, has bunches small flowers and reddish stems.

It’s not often sold at big box retailers but is more likely to be found at native plant nurseries. It also has a tendency to sucker to form colonies, which can be controlled with pruning, says Chu.

Native Area: Europe and AsiaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7Size: 8 to 15 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

The blooms of this dogwood are yellow, and it has interesting scaly bark.

The sour-cherry-type fruit is edible and is used to make jams and jellies, says Molnar.

Native Area: Western Asia and EuropeUSDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8Size: 20 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This shrubby native dogwood has pretty white berries, as opposed to many other dogwoods, which have red fruit.

The flower appears more as a cluster or bunch. It also tends to spread in thickets if the suckers aren’t pruned out, says Chu.

Native Range: Eastern North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This large tree has showy white bracts, making it reminiscent of flowering dogwood. However, it only grows well in the west.

Native Range: Western North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 9Size: 30 to 40 feet tall, 15 to 25 feet wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Like many of the shrub types, this tree has small clusters of flowers and tends to do best in cooler climates.

The leaves appear on alternate sides of the branches, which is unusual for dogwoods because leaves typically right across from each other, says Chu.

Native Range: Eastern North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7Size: 15 to 25 feet tall, 20 to 30 feet wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This is another shrubby type that forms large colonies, spreading by underground stems.

It tends to get rangy and unattractive, so it’s not a great specimen plant for this reason, says Chu. It is better as a woodland or background planting.

Native Range: Eastern North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8Size: 6 to 15 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This shrubby type has reddish bark, which is the main reason it is grown. It can be pruned to encourage more new growth, which has the best color. Some cultivars have yellow stems.

Native Range: North AmericaUSDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7Size: 6 to 9 feet tall and wideSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Where do dogwoods grow best?Dogwoods grow in many different types of conditions and tolerate most types of soil, though they prefer slightly acidic soils (5.5 to 6.0 pH). Most prefer part sun with afternoon shade, especially in warmer climates. But they don’t bloom well in full shade, as they tend to get leggy and have fewer bracts, says Molnar. Make sure to choose a variety that is suited to your USDA Hardiness Zone.

Do I need to fertilize my dogwood tree?You don’t have to, but they will respond to feeding by growing faster and showing darker leaves and better blooms. Use an all-purpose granular slow release food, such as a 10-10-10 in May, June and July, says Molnar.

Are dogwood trees messy?It depends on the type. The fruits of Cornus florida are small and somewhat dry, so they’re not juicy or likely to stain anything. Birds also like them. Kousa has larger fruits, which the birds don’t like as much, so you may need to clean them up, says Molnar. Most other shrubby types leave little mess because the fruit is small and insignificant.

Is dogwood a good tree for my yard?Absolutely. Dogwood trees are early bloomers and quite eye-catching in the spring, and most types boast pretty fall color, too, Chu. They’re generally easy-care and make good specimen trees or accents in the garden.

Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.

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