16 Dogwood Tree Facts for Kids
- The dogwood tree is a small flowering tree species in the Cornus genus.
- The common name for the dogwood tree is the flowering dogwood.
- The scientific name for the dogwood tree is Cornus florida.
- Botanists recognize two subspecies of the dogwood tree (Cornus florida).
- The dogwood tree is a deciduous tree, which means it loses its leaves seasonally.
Full Answer
What does a dogwood tree look like?
What does the dogwood tree look like? Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) Its leaves are elliptical to oval in shape, and dull white flowers in late spring give way to blue-black fruit in August, which should not be eaten. Fall foliage is sometimes an attractive red-purple. Click to see full answer.
How do you care for a dogwood tree?
How to Plant and Care for a Dogwood Tree
- Dogwood Care Requirements. ...
- Wildroot Organic Mycorrhizal Fungi Concentrate. ...
- Xtreme Gardening Mykos Pure Mycorrhizal Inoculant Organic Root Enhancer. ...
- Great White Mycorrhizae. ...
- Prepare to Plant Your Dogwood Tree. ...
- Planting Your Dogwood Tree. ...
- Maintaining Your Newly-Planted Dogwood. ...
What are the different types of dogwood trees?
The 15 types of Dogwood trees include:
- Flowering Dogwood
- Common Dogwood
- Mountain Dogwood
- Kousa Dogwood
- Gray Dogwood
- Cornelian Dogwood
- Canadian Bunchberry
- Stiff Dogwood
- Pagoda Dogwood
- Rough Leaf Dogwood
How long do dogwood trees live mostly?
They can live up to 120 years. Dogwood trees (Cornus florida) reach heights up to 30 feet with white, pink or red blooms. They are used in landscaping as lawn trees, borders and accent trees in flower gardens. Dogwoods can be propagated from seed or grafting and live up to 125 years.
What tree Family is the dogwood in?
family CornaceaeCornus is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark.
What kind of dogwood tree do I have?
You can identify a dogwood by looking for smooth-edged leaves with veins that curve parallel to the margins (edges). Flowers may or may not feature large bracts like those of the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). After pollination, they produce a type of fruit known as a drupe.
Is a dogwood tree a deciduous tree?
Dogwood trees are flowering, deciduous trees with a variety of species native to North America, Europe, and Asia. Some varieties of dogwood plants are large shrubs and others are small trees. Dogwood trees bloom late spring flowers and grow dark green leaves that turn a red fall color.
Is a dogwood a tree or a bush?
Dogwoods are beautiful flowering deciduous trees and shrubs with distinctive flowers, berries, bark, and leaves. Most species of dogwood are fast-growing ornamental trees that are ideal for garden landscapes. Some types of dogwoods look like shrubs as they are small shrubby multi-stemmed plants.
What is special about a dogwood tree?
The dogwood tree contains both male and female reproductive organs. This allows it to self-pollinate and means it can produce seeds on its own. The fruit of the dogwood tree is a popular food source for many different bird species.
Why do dogwood trees stink?
Dogwood trees rely on insects and birds to reproduce. Scent is an essential tool plants use to attract these pollinators. As such, flowers produce the most aromatic scent when they're ready for fertilization. Typically, musty-smelling flowers attract beetles and flies, while sweet-smelling flowers attract bees.
What is the lifespan of a dogwood tree?
It is a plant with four-season character – showy spring flowers, summer and fall foliage, fall fruit and winter branching habit. Trees can be used in groupings, as specimens or in naturalized areas. The average lifespan is 80 years. Flowering dogwood is rated hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 9.
Is a flowering dogwood deciduous or evergreen?
Dogwood is a very popular deciduous tree for an environment that sees bright light or part sun, and it's one of the trees where the flowers appear first or just as the first tiny leaves are appearing.
Are dogwood trees toxic to dogs?
No dogwood trees or shrubs are toxic to dogs.
Is dogwood toxic?
Dogwood tree In the fall, bright red berries appear at the point where the leaves meet the branches. Dogwood berries are not toxic when eaten, but there have been reports of rashes after skin contact with the tree.
Do dogwood trees stink?
Also like a small child, Dogwoods can be a bit smelly, offering a strong, though not altogether unpleasant, fragrance.
Where do dogwood trees grow best?
Dogwoods can be planted in full sun or partial shade, though partial shade is best (morning sun in particular). Dogwoods are typically an understory tree in the wild. Dogwoods are easy care trees that will likely bloom by their second year, but sometimes will bloom in their first year.
What is the difference between a dogwood shrub and a dogwood tree?
They grow fast and provide year-round garden interest with spring flowers, summer berries, and exceptional fall color. However, shrubby dogwoods do not grow the showy bracts that the taller dogwood trees do. Their flowers also appear after the foliage has fully grown in.
How do I identify kousa dogwood?
The kousa dogwood tends to have leaves that are a bit smaller than the leaves of the florida; also, the blossoms appear a little bit later in the spring and are somewhat smaller, with the white petals having a slightly greenish appearance. The kousa dogwood is somewhat more drought tolerant than the florida.
How do I identify a dogwood tree in the winter?
Look to see whether the tree is a conifer or a deciduous broadleaf. The latter has thin, flat leaves, as opposed to needles or tight, scaly leaves. The dogwood is a deciduous broadleaf tree, which means that it loses its leaves during the winter. Examine the stems that the leaves are attached to.
What does a white flowering dogwood tree look like?
Appearance. White dogwoods grow in a pleasing, rounded umbrella shape. Their tiered branches are slightly from their short trunk or several trunks. Their white “flowers” bloom from late March or April to May, and are actually bracts—modified leaves, with small blooms in the center.
What is a dogwood tree?
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault. Dogwoods include a large group of flowering woody trees and shrubs within the genus Cornus. The genus also includes some species that are best described as subshrubs—fast-growing woody plants that tend to die back in winter to ground level and grow back from buds near the base of the plant.
What is a flowering dogwood?
When many people think of dogwoods, this is the plant they envision. Flowering dogwood is a small deciduous tree that blooms with white, pink, or red flowers in early spring; it is the state tree of North Carolina. Flowering dogwood has a low-branching habit with a flattish crown. Dark green leaves, 3 to 6 inches long, turn an attractive red in fall. This is a good specimen tree for a location with acidic soil and afternoon shade. This species and the Pacific dogwood are prone to dogwood anthracnose, which can be controlled by pruning away affected branches. You may want to avoid planting where anthracnose is known to be a problem.
What color are Pacific dogwood leaves?
Dark green leaves, 3 to 6 inches long, turn an attractive red in fall. This is a good specimen tree for a location with acidic soil and afternoon shade. This species and the Pacific dogwood are prone to dogwood anthracnose, which can be controlled by pruning away affected branches.
What is a Kousa dogwood?
Also known as Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, or Japanese dogwood, the Kousa dogwood is a small deciduous tree or multi-stemmed shrub. It produces an abundant display of yellowish-green flowers in spring and pinkish-red berries in summer. Fall color is purplish to red. This shrub has tan or gray bark that has a mottled, exfoliating texture that can be quite attractive in winter. Lower branches should be pruned away to enhance the appearance of the bark.
What color is dogwood foliage?
Fall foliage is sometimes an attractive red-purple. Young plants may have attractive red stems, but this sometimes fades to dull green in mature plants. You will likely need to prune common dogwood yearly (or perhaps even more) to keep it in check, as it can spread. Native Area: Western Asia and Europe.
How to identify dogwoods?
You can identify a dogwood by looking for smooth-edged leaves with veins that curve parallel to the margins (edges).
What is the color of mountain dogwood?
It is often considered the western version of the flowering dogwood, but with this plant, the white flowers are quite large and the fall color is yellow, orange, or red. The small fruits are bright orange or red.
What is a dogwood?
Dogwoods, from the genus Cornus, consist of a large group of flowering trees and shrubs. These plants are wildly popular because they provide interest year-round – with blooms early in the spring, berries in the summer, and stunning fall colors. Some species of dogwood even feature colorful stems, providing winter appeal to your landscape.
What are the different types of dogwoods?
Some of the most popular dogwood varieties include the Canadian bunchberry, cornelian cherry, Kousa dogwood, mountain dogwood, and common dogwood. Though, you are not limited to just these options. As one of the most common types of trees with a range of cultivars, each having distinct characteristics, there are numerous dogwoods to choose from.
What Colors do Dogwood Trees Come In?
White is the most prevalent hue for dogwood blossoms, but this varies per species. Monrovia describes the aurora dogwood (Cornus x “Rutban”) as having creamy white blossoms with a silky feel.
Why is rough leaf dogwood called rough leaf dogwood?
The rough leaf dogwood gets its name because of the coarse hairs that are found on the foliage. This is another type of dogwood that does particularly well in shadier areas, though you can enjoy more blooms and berries if you decide to plant it in a location that receives, full direct sunlight.
What is the name of the tree that grows in dry areas?
3. Mountain Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) The mountain dogwood, or often referred to as Pacific dogwood, is a moderately-sized deciduous tree that has wonderful tolerance for both dry, drought conditions and shady locations. It is considered by many to be the western version of the flowering dogwood.
How many varieties of dogwood are there?
There are roughly 200 cultivars of the flowering dogwood, each with its own unique characteristics. 2. Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) Also known as the European dogwood and the Bloodtwig dogwood, the common dogwood is native to Europe and Western Asia.
How tall is a dogwood?
Some species of dogwood even feature colorful stems, providing winter appeal to your landscape. This, paired with an average height of 20 feet, dogwoods can make an impressive addition to your garden. Dogwoods are commonly used as both flowering shrubs and trees in a landscape.
What are the different types of dogwood trees?
Of the 17 species of dogwood native to North America, the four most common garden types are native flowering dogwoods, Pacific dogwood, Cornelian cherry dogwood, and kousa dogwoods. The latter two are introduced species that have earned a place in American gardens because they are more disease resistant than native species.
How tall do dogwoods grow?
Flowering dogwoods grow to between 12 and 20 feet (3.5-6 m.) tall with a trunk diameter of 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.). They thrive in sun or shade. Those in full sun are shorter with better leaf color, especially in the fall. In the shade, they may have poor fall color, but they have a more graceful, open canopy shape.
How tall does Cornelian cherry dogwood grow?
You can grow it as a small tree or a tall, multi-stemmed shrub. It reaches heights of 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.).
What zone is dogwood in?
Native to the Eastern U.S., this handsome tree thrives in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Flowering dogwood is susceptible to anthracnose, a devastating and incurable disease that can kill the tree.
Why are dogwood trees left in the wild?
Other native species are best left in the wild because of their coarse texture or unruly habit. Let’s look at the four different types of dogwood trees best suited to cultivated landscapes.
Where does Pacific dogwood grow?
Pacific dogwood ( Cornus nuttallii) grows on the West Coast in a band between San Francisco and British Columbia. Unfortunately, it doesn’t thrive in the east. It’s a taller and more upright tree than the flowering dogwood. Pacific dogwood thrives in USDA zones 6b through 9a.
When do dogwoods bloom?
This beautiful tree is interesting all year, with pink or white flowers in late winter or early spring, followed by attractive green foliage.
What is a dogwood tree?
The Dogwood Tree is a majestic ornamental, well adapted to life in the United States. As long as you offer the tree plenty of water and sunshine, like most plants, the Dogwood will do just fine. There are over 50 species within the Cornus, or Dogwood, genus. These species vary wildly, from shrubs to deciduous temperate trees and evergreens. One of the most common species, and the one about which you’ve most likely heard, is the Flowering Dogwood. The state tree of Virginia, the Flowering Dogwood has conspicuous white to light yellow flowers that offer magnificent blooms in spring. Other species can be quite different; for example, the Blackfruit Cornel, native to California, has small yellow-green blooms and a fruit which turns black when ripe, thus the name. Whatever your desire, there is a Dogwood to suit your needs.
What type of soil do dogwoods like?
Soil – Plant in well-drained, moist soil that is not overly wet. Although adaptable to many soil types, Dogwoods prefer slightly acidic loam.
What causes dogwood leaves to turn grey?
Dogwood powdery mildew has also become a recent major threat to Dogwoods. The mildew, which often causes a whitish-gray powdery film on leaves that are also contorted, is easily treatable with fungicides, such as horticulture oil.
Why do dogswoods have anthracnose?
Dogwood anthracnose is a disease caused by the fungus Discula destructiva. For this reason it can be beneficial to plant your Dogwood in late spring, when warm temperatures will kill the fungus, which thrives in cooler, wet weather. Dogwood powdery mildew has also become a recent major threat to Dogwoods.
Why is dogwood anthracnose important?
Dogwood anthracnose is a disease caused by the fungus Discula destructiva.
What is the relationship between dogwood and property?
Choosing the right Dogwood for your property means considering what your location has to offer and for what you are looking. A symbiotic relationship, where both your Dogwood benefits from necessary water, sun, and nutrient supplies and you benefit from the best height, shade, and beauty of the Dogwood, is in everybody’s interests.
What is the most common tree in Virginia?
One of the most common species, and the one about which you’ve most likely heard, is the Flowering Dogwood. The state tree of Virginia, the Flowering Dogwood has conspicuous white to light yellow flowers that offer magnificent blooms in spring. Other species can be quite different; for example, the Blackfruit Cornel, native to California, ...
What is the name of the flowering dogwood?
Leaves and fruit of flowering dogwood ( Cornus florida ). Since the mid-1970s a blight, dogwood anthracnose ( see anthracnose ), has infested the North American species, causing particularly severe damage in portions of the eastern United States.
Where is dogwood native to?
Dogwood, (genus Cornus ), genus of shrubs, trees, and herbs in the dogwood family (Cornaceae), native to Europe, eastern Asia, and North America.
What is the color of dogwood?
Red twig, or red osier ( C. sericea ), dogwood of northern and western North America has bright red twigs that are especially showy in winter and early spring; the branches are dark red in colour and the fall foliage ranges from red to purple to yellow. Flowers and pink bracts of flowering dogwood ( Cornus florida ).
How many petals does a dogwood have?
The deciduous leaves are borne oppositely in most species and commonly have parallel lateral veins that arch strongly as they approach leaf edge. The true flowers are generally small, with four petals and four sepals, and are surrounded by four petal-like bracts in some species. The fruit is a drupe. flowering dogwood.
How do dogwoods spread?
Many dogwood species spread clonally by underground rhizomes or rooting branches. Young branches are frequently covered in fine hairs (trichomes), and the simple leaves range from hairy to waxy, depending on the species.
1. Flowering Dogwood
The flowering dogwood is the species that most people associate with the name dogwood. It is a small tree, growing to around 20 feet tall, that sheds every year and has pink, white, red flowers. The flowering dogwood usually blooms in early spring and the leaves turn a striking red in fall.
2. Kousa Dogwood
The kousa dogwood is commonly found in yards and gardens. It is a flowering shrub that is native to eastern Asia, hence it is also known as the Japanese dogwood. It produces a lot of white or yellow flowers in spring and red berries during the summer season.
3. Pacific Dogwood
The Pacific dogwood, or mountain dogwood, is a tall deciduous tree that grows to heights of 50 feet or taller. It can suffer anthracnose and some local authorities do discourage its planting for this reason.
4. Cornelian Dogwood
The cornelian dogwood, also called the cornelian cherry, is a small tree that grows to approximately 15 feet and gets its name from the red cherry-like berries. The berries can be eaten when ripe and are commonly used to make jams and pickles. Yellow flowers are produced in early spring.
5. Canadian Bunchberry
The Canadian bunchberry, which may also go by the simpler name of bunchberry, is a low-growing shrub that can spread rapidly if not controlled. It has white flowers and produces red berries. The berries are edible, and the plant enjoys partially shady conditions.
6. Common Dogwood
The European dogwood, or common dogwood, is native to parts of Asia and Europe. It is a shrub that can grow to heights of 10 feet and gives white flowers in spring and dark blue fruit. The common dogwood can take over planting areas so it will need regular pruning to keep it under control.
7. Gray Dogwood
The gray dogwood is named for the color of its bark, which is an orange color when new but turns gray as it ages. This is another shrub that spreads via rhizomes, so you may find several bunches of the shrub in different areas of the garden. It has white flowers that lead to white berries. The berries are inedible to humans.
