University of Illinois Extension
University of Illinois Extension - Selecting Trees for Your Home
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/treeselector
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
5 pictures total. Back Next
Flowers of Flowering Dogwood
Size:
Size: small
Small

Medium

Large
Exposure/ Light Requirements:
Full Shade not required.
Full Shade
Full Sun required.
Full Sun
Partial Sun/Shade required.
Partial Sun/Shade
Pests and Problems:

Environmental Damage

Fungal Disease

Insect Damage


Several problems affect this tree, including spot anthracnose (a leaf disease), dogwood anthracnod (a serious fungal disease), cankers, dogwood borer, and powdery mildew.
Hardiness Zone: 5 - 9 
[Find Your Zone]
Mature Height: 15-25 Feet
Features: White, pink or red "flowers" (actually bracts) in spring; clusters of small red fruit in autumn; fall color is reddish purple.
Culture: Partial shade to full sun. Prefers a moist, well drained, slightly acid soil. Although listed as hardy in zone 5, this tree may not perform well in the northern half of that zone, unless plants are selected from a northern seed source.
Cultivars:

Numerous culitvars available, including:

  • 'Cherokee Brave'- Flower bracts are deep pink with a white center.
  • 'Cherokee Chief'- Flower bracts are deep, rose-red; new leaves emerge reddish.
  • Cherokee Daybreak™ - Flower bracts are white; leaves are variegated with a white edge that resists scorching.
  • 'Cherokee Princess'- Flower bracts are white and flowers are very large; flowers at an early age and flowers heavily.
  • 'Cloud 9'- Flower bracts are white and overlap one another; flowers at an early age.
  • 'Rubra' (var. rubra)- Flower bracts range from pink to reddish.
Mature Form: Rounded to slightly irregular; branching is fairly horizontal.
Native To: United States (Illinois)
Soil Conditions:
Dry
Soil condition: Moist, Well-DrainedMoist, Well-Drained
Wet
Tolerance:
Alkaline Soil
Dry Sites
Salt
Soil Compaction
Wet Sites
Wind
Uses:
Use for: Massing.Massing
Use for: Patio.Patio
Screen
Shade
Use for: Specimen.Specimen
Street
Wind Break
Foliage Color: Green
Variegated
 
Fall Foliage Color: Purple
Red
 
Additional Notes: Although listed as hardy in zone 5, this tree may not perform well in the northern half of that zone, unless plants are selected from a northern seed source.