Flowering Dogwood

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Sun to light shade, medium to moderately dry moisture, tolerates moderately coarse sandy loams to clay soils, moderately to slightly acid pH.

12–30 feet tall by 8–15 feet wide; white or pink 4-bracted flowers in April–May; egg-shaped, bright scarlet-red berries ripening in fall and persisting into winter. Growth rate slow upon transplanting, gradually increasing to medium.

Propagation from seed planted 13 mm deep in late winter; easy to moderately difficult from cuttings.

Native region: Statewide in Tennessee.

Cornus florida is the Tennessee state tree and one of the most recognizable native small trees in Middle Tennessee, flowering prolifically along woodland edges in April. It is strictly an understory or woodland-edge species — sustained afternoon sun on compacted or dry sites leads to heat stress, which opens the tree to dogwood borer (Synanthedon scitula) infestations and dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva). The more stressed the tree, the more reliably borers will colonize it. Air circulation is the primary management tool against anthracnose — avoid planting in low-lying areas or crowded plantings. Spring planting is strongly preferred over fall; root systems need months to establish before winter. Scarlet berries are consumed by over 30 bird species. Mulch out to the dripline and avoid mower or string-trimmer contact with the bark, which creates the wound entry points borers require.