Spring in Virginia is theseason of the dogwood tree , with flowering cornel , Cornus florida , serving as both the official country tree diagram and the country efflorescence . Bloom season is tenacious and beautiful , starting with the Cornelian cherry cornel ( Cornus mas ) in March , flowering dogwood ( C. florida ) in April , the kousa dogwood ( C. kousa ) in May , and the pagoda dogwood ( C. alternifolia ) in May to June . In addition to leaping blooms , each specie offers colorful Charles Edward Berry in the fall , fall leafage color , and interesting bark in winter . Of these four species , the flowering dogwood ( C. florida ) and pagoda dogwood ( C.alternifolia ) are aboriginal to North America , in particular , to the eastern U.S. This article will discuss all four metal money of dogwoods , highlight similarity , difference , and suitableness to different sites .
BRACTS AND heyday
Cornusis a genus of about 30–60 metal money of woody plant in thefamilyCornaceae , commonly have sex as dogwoods . Each coinage institute its own value to the landscape painting . The “ prime ” of the flowering cornel and kousa dogwood are not actually bloom but bracts , which are modified leaf that look like petals . The true blossom are clustered in the mall of these bract . The “ flower ” may be ashen , pinkish or yellow . Pagoda dogwood lacks the flashy bracts of the flowering dogwood , but has 2″ prostrate clump of fragrant , bloodless flowers appearing in May to the beginning of June . The small yellowed bloom of the Cornelian cherry red appear very early in spring , sometimes before forsythia , and often remain long into spring . flower are borne in midget cluster airless to the defenseless stems .
Both the flowering and Cornelian cherry red dogwoods flowerbeforethe leaves seem . The kousa cornel and pagoda dogwood flowerafterthe leave of absence appear .
One of the most appealing features of many dogwood is the graceful beauty of their tiered , horizontal branching , especially lawful of the flowering dogwood tree and the kousa cornel when they are sited in shade . Cornelian cherry tree tends to be multi - caulescent and is form more like a shrub than a tree .
FRUIT , downfall leafage , AND BARK
efflorescence cornel : Maturing in late summer to other fall , the bright crimson fruit are loved by birdie and wildlife . Fall leaf coloring material is red to cerise - purple , although trees sit in full shade may have poor fall color . The drear , red - browned bark is rough and deeply chequer , make it an effective marking for tree diagram identification .
Pagoda dogwood : Black - blue droop appear in July and August . The fruit stalk rest and turn an attractive red . In fall , the foliation becomes a mix of yellowness and maroon . The bark is unruffled , dark-skinned green , and streaked ; finally turn unclouded Brown University with narrow cleft .
Kousa dogwood : Showy , pinkish - red to red yield resembling raspberries appear in September and October . The fruit are comestible , although somewhat mealy . Fall foliage color alter from purple to red to sensationalistic . As kousa dogwood matures , the lower bark peel and creates a unique pattern similar to sycamore tree barque .
Cornelian cherry cornel : Medium to tumid - sized fruit mature to cherry cherry-red in mid - summertime . Although glum relishing fresh off the plant , fruits are comestible and often abundant and may be used for pee-pee syrups , preserve , and pies . Fall leafage color is often pitiful , ranging from leaden green to purplish ruby-red . The bark is black grey to reddish brownness and becomes scaly and exfoliating as the tree matures .
PLANTING AND upkeep
Dogwoods opt moist , well - drain , acid ( 5.5 to 6.0 pH ) stain that is high in organic topic . The blossom cornel and pagoda dogwood prefer fond nuance , especially shade in the live afternoon . Both the kousa and the Cornelian cherry tree do well in full sun or partial tad , and are more Sunday resistant than the anthesis or the pagoda dogwoods . Dogwoods have shallow root , and none of the dogwood tolerate drouth . Even established trees will gain from tearing during hot , teetotal magic spell . If irrigation water is applied by sprinklers , it should always be done in the morning to thin out risk of foliar disease . proficient air travel circulation is necessary to hasten drying of leave after rain and to lour the risk of disease .
FERTILIZING
Fertilize dogwoods lightly in the springonce frost has passedwith a well - equilibrize ( 2 - 1 - 1 ) , extended - release , acid - take form , azalea plant food . feed again six hebdomad by and by to advance extra efflorescence or faster increment of young tree diagram . void using high - N lawn fertiliser around dogwood . inordinate atomic number 7 can induce the tree to develop more leaf at the expense of bloom . Avoid fertilizing Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree stressed by drought during the summertime month .
PRUNING
All these species form their buds on quondam woodwind ; if you dress dogwoods either in the twilight or in the early springiness before they bloom , you ’ll move out the efflorescence bud . Most dogwoods will not need dress , but if you mustprune , do so immediately after the tree diagram bloom in the spring . This will allow the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree time to bring about new growth and flush buds for the following year .
DISEASE
florescence cornel is susceptible to numerous diseases and pestilence , including powdery mould ( Erysiphe pulchra),dogwood anthracnose,(Discula destructiva),and spot anthracnose(Elsinoe corni).Of the four species , the flowering dogwood is the most susceptible to anthracnose and powdery mildew ; the kousa dogwood tree is more resistant ; and the pagoda dogwood and the Cornelian cherry are considered to be a more often than not pest - free plants with beneficial resistance to powdery mildew and dogwood tree anthracnose .
FLOWERING DOGWOOD ( C. FLORIDA )
The florescence dogwood is the species most people intend of when the word cornel is advert . This is a endearing , diminished , flowering tree with short trunk and summit of spread or about horizontal arm . During the Civil War , dogwood bark was used as a reliever for quinine . Native Americans used the aromatic bark and roots as a remedy for malaria and extracted a reddish dye from the barque and roots .
CHARACTERISTICS
The bloom cornel will farm 40′ tall when grown as an understory tree diagram in a woodland stage setting . In the sun , the same Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree may only grow 15 - 20′ improbable and wide-eyed . Spread can be large than height at due date . It can be grown as a single- or multi - trunk tree . A slow to temperate grower , it can get 15′ in 18 years . It prefers rich , well - drained , acid dirt .
POWDERY MILDEW
Powdery mildew usually occurs latterly in the summer and is of little outcome . Infection that begins early in the time of year , however , can be devastating , and the use of fungicides may be justify .
ANTHRACNOSE
Flowering dogwood is badly threatened by dogwood anthracnose which is due to a fungus . Although a serious disease , there is some grounds that it is less far-flung than before . The disease first became a problem around 1980 and go around speedily throughout the trees ’ stove . Symptoms of anthracnose include large tan blotches or purple - rimmed folio spot . septic leafage run to persist on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree after they normally would have fallen . Trees are typically killed in 2 - 3 years . The fungus necessitate high humidity for infection , so trees grow in moist , shady website are most susceptible . lusty , well - maintain inflorescence dogwood trees in sunny areas with near air circulation and proper dirt wet are seldom impacted by anthracnose . mellow applications of nitrogen fertilizer can advertize succulent new shoots which are more susceptible to the fungus .
C. florida‘Appalachian Spring ’ was line up acquire raving mad at the Camp David Presidential Retreat on Catoctin Mountain in Maryland where it exhibited strong resistance to anthracnose . It was explicate by the University of Tennessee ’s Dogwood Breeding program ,
PESTS
inflorescence dogwood is susceptible to the dogwood bore bit ( Synanthedon scitula ) , a clearwing moth that is attracted to weakened Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , pruning cuts , and sunscald - damaged barque areas . Other commonly - occurring insect pests include the cornel clubgall midge ( which causes club - shaped galls or swelling on twigs ) , granulate ambrosia beetle , exfoliation insects , and leaf mineworker . Unless the tree is under stress from other factors , insect legal injury is normally not stern .
For an splendid word of bloom dogwood pests and diseases , and a list of cultivar that are more resistive to these trouble , refer to“Dogwood , ” Clemson Home & Garden Information Center(HGIC ) and“Dogwood Diseases and Insect Pests , ” Clemson HGIC .
OTHER PROBLEMS
Leaf scorch may occur when conditions are too dry . Leaves have dry and browning edge and leaf drop may also come about . Although leaf singe may wait like a disease , it is n’t . Dogwoods respond positively to consistent wet . Just as they digest in drought , they also do badly when institute in website with poor drain or in areas dependent to flooding . When territory becomes too wet , dogwoods are prostrate to root putrefaction ( Phytophthoraspecies ) .
WILDLIFE VALUE
Flowering dogwood is a valuable intellectual nourishment flora for wildlife because gamy atomic number 20 and rich content make it toothsome . The fruit are eaten by transmigrate birds and are an important solid food for winter Bronx cheer such as fairy bluebird . yield is also eaten by ruffed grouse , quail , smutty bear , cervid , chipmunk , skunks and squirrels . The fruit , flowers , twig , barque and farewell are eaten by a variety of wildlife .
The flower dogwood is a larval innkeeper for the spring azure butterfly ( Celastrina ladon ) . The tree is also recognized by pollenation ecologists as attracting large number of aboriginal bee . It also attract predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects .
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Although different source make unlike claims regarding the toxicity of bloom dogwood berries , according to the USDA , the berries are vicious to humans .
PAGODA DOGWOOD ( C. ALTERNIFOLIA )
Pagoda dogwood is a also commonly known as alternate - leaf cornel . Unlike most othernativedogwoods , this mintage hasalternaterather thanoppositeleaves . The name Pagoda Dogwood alludes to the flat - topped crown , with horizontal layer of branches . Branches are nearly parallel to the ground , giving the plant life an attractive tiered effect .
This is a low - prongy tree or large shrub contact 15 - 25′ feet mellow and wide . Pagoda cornel has greenish to reddish , or purple to over-embellished - brown stems . The leaves form an umbrella - like shade because they are clustered near the ends of branchlet . Pagoda dogwood opt acidulous , well - drained , consistently moist dirt but it is resistant of poor soils and stiff . It will tolerate only scant menstruation of drought . It is important to keep the root zone cool and moist . Pagoda cornel does best in specter to part spectre . In quick mood , it is easily implant on the N or eastward sides of edifice so that it is in direct sunlight for only part of the day .
Pagoda cornel perform serious in colder climates . It is stout in Zones 3 to 7 . In VA , it is frequent in the mass and infrequent to rare elsewhere .
Its bitter Chuck Berry are consumed in downfall and winter by wildlife including grouse , pheasant , wild turkey and squirrels . hoot and butterfly stroke are also attracted to the tree . It is a larval server for the bound azure butterfly stroke , Celastrina ladon .
PROBLEMS
Although pagoda cornel is susceptible to twig blight , leaf office , and canker , it is infrequently touch by insect and disease . Wind and ice damage are vulgar ; a planting site protected from steer is preferable .
KOUSA DOGWOOD ( C. KOUSA )
Native to Japan , Korea and China , the first scientific notice of the kousa dogwood in the United States were tape in 1875 . Other names for this metal money include Chinese dogwood , Nipponese dogwood , Japanese flowering cornel , and Japanese strawberry tree diagram .
The kousa dogwood tree will acquire 15 - 30 foot tall and wide . A slow to moderate grower , it will farm about 10 feet in 15 years . Younger trees grow vertical , but with age , they spread more broadly speaking with horizontal branching . Falling fruit may create a litter problem and should be considered in situation selection .
KOUSA CULTIVARS AND HYBRIDS
Kousa dogwoods and their loanblend are generally more resistive than native dogwood to dogwood anthracnose , blot anthracnose , powdery mildew , and common dogwood borers . The Stellar series of cultivars , develop by hybridizer Elwin Orton of Rutgers University , are loan-blend between the flowering dogwood tree and the kousa cornel . They are broadly speaking free of disease but may not be hope by gardeners wanting the pure form of the aboriginal tree . The hybrids bring about flashy bracts and have exhibited ohmic resistance to anthracnose in ongoing field tests . Their trademarked names are Ruth Ellen , Constellation , Aurora , Galaxy , Stardust , and Stellar Pink .
The varietyRuth Ellenis allege to have the closest smell of the aboriginal specie , but more often than not the other star introductions are midway between the two specie in their wont , flush shape , and flower stop . They are sterile and do n’t produce decorative berries , but are particularly showy in bloom .
SeeC. kousa , NC State Extensionfor a sample list of kousa cultivars .
A CAUTIONARY TALE
According toNC State Extension , kousa dogwood provide fruits and nesting sites that are attractive to songbirds . squirrel eat the fruit as well . However , according to anarticle by the National Wildlife Federation , kousa berries are “ monkey food for thought , ” which makes them valuable in Asia but not in North America . “ Nothing eats them here , ” say Doug Tallamy , a prof of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware . “ They ’re not part of the food web . ”
This clause also identifiesC. kousaas being the original source of bringing dogwood tree anthracnose into North America .
Sometime after kousa was first insert to the United States by knickknack - seek glasshouse in the nineteenth one C , it likely unleashed the disease on defenseless native Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that had not evolved with the fungus . As Americans watched their blossoming dogwoods die starting in the seventies , landscapist further them to replace the tree diagram — with more kousas . “ I do n’t know a general in the U.S. war machine who could arrive up with a better invasion strategy , ” says Kevin Heatley , an Ohio - found restoration ecologist .
Doug Tallamy , on p. 74 ofBringing Nature Home , identifiesC. kousaas the probable postman of dogwood tree anthracnose into the U.S.
CORNELIAN CHERRY cornel ( C. MAS )
The Cornelian cherry dogwood tree is native to southerly Europe and western Asia and has been cultivated since ancient clock time for the fruit , which is excellent for preserves and sirup . On March 31 , 1774 , Thomas Jefferson recorded in his garden diary planting four “ Ciriege Corniole ” or Cornelian cherry trees along with sixteen other mixture of fruit trees and vegetable .
Cornelian cherry is a rounded , multi - stemmed small tree or heavy bush with a web of o.k. stem . It get on to 20 - 25 ’ tall and 15 - 20 ’ wide . It reply well to pruning and may be pruned to grow a more upright habit . A slow to temperate grower , it will grow 20 understructure in 25 yr . It thrives in well - debilitate urban conditions as a specimen plant , in masses , or as a hedge .
The yield is medium to turgid , maroon - red , cherry - like , comestible , and attractive to birds . Two unlike varieties of Cornelian cherry trees are need to get yield . Cornelian cherries should bear fruit in 2 - 5 years , with full fruiting in 5 - 8 years . Harvest fruit in late summertime ; yield can be astringent if harvested too too soon . fall fruit may make litter problems and can temporarily tarnish walks and concrete .
The cultivar ‘ Spring Glow ’ may be the dear selection for warm southern clime . The cultivar is screw for its good foliage and brighter yellow flush than the mintage .
SUMMARY
Dogwoods are conceive one of the most beautiful blossoming tree diagram in Virginia , and a true harbinger of springtime . The native selection , blossom dogwood , has been chevvy by dogwood anthracnose , a fungal disease which thrives in the same sort of site conditions favored by the native tree : specter and moisture . If institute in sunnier spots , care must be necessitate to provide ample lacrimation . The native pagoda dogwood is resistant to anthracnose . Like the flowering dogwood , it prefers shade , needs copious moisture , supports aboriginal butterflies and insects , and is a valuable food reference for wildlife and birds . It grows in USDA hardiness zona 3 - 7 , place Virginia in its most southern zone . The Kousa cornel , an Asian species , is far less susceptible to dogwood anthracnose but the mintage is not a comparable food for thought reservoir for aboriginal insects and wildlife . There are many beautiful and disease - resistant hybrid of flowering cornel and kousa dogwood , but be aware that these hybrids are sterile and do n’t produce yield . The Cornelian cerise cornel is more shrublike , blooms in very early spring , has abundant , small , yellowish flowers , and eatable yield . It is also resistant to dogwood anthracnose . Each of these dogwoods offers beauty in the landscape painting . You involve to weigh the pro and cons and decide which best accommodate your planting site , and your sight of spring !
source
convey Nature Home(Douglas W. Tallamy , 2009 )
“ Dogwood , ” Clemson Home & Garden Information Center , https://hgic.clemson.edu / factsheet / dogwood/
“ Dogwood Diseases & Insect Pests , ” Clemson Home & Garden Information Center , https://hgic.clemson.edu / factsheet / dogwood - disease - insect - pests/
Flowering Dogwood , USDA Plants , https://plants.usda.gov / plantguide / pdf / pg_cofl2.pdf
“ Dogwood Anthracnose ( Discula ) – Trees , ” University of Maryland Extension , https://extension.umd.edu / hgic / topics / cornel - anthracnose - discula - trees
“ Flowering Dogwood , ” University of Kentucky , https://www.uky.edu / hort / Flowering - Dogwood
“ Tried and True Native Plants of the Mid - Atlantic , Cornus Alternifolia , ” Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia , https://mgnv.org / plants / trees / pagoda/
Pagoda Dogwood , University of Kentucky , https://www.uky.edu / hort / Pagoda - Dogwood
cornu alternifolia , Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center , https://www.wildflower.org / plants / result.php?id_plant = coal2
Cornus Alternifolia , Cornell University Woody Plant Database , http://woodyplants.cals.cornell.edu / plant/62
Kousa Dogwood , Cornus kousa , Virginia Cooperative Extension , Hort 16NP , https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu / HORT / HORT-16 / HORT-16.html
Cornus kousa , NC State Extension , https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu / plants / cornus - kousa/
“ Going aboriginal , ” The National Wildlife Federation , https://www.nwf.org / Magazines / National - Wildlife/2017 / April - May / Gardening / go - indigen
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood , Morton Arboretum , https://www.mortonarb.org / trees - plants / Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - plant life - description / cornelian - cherry tree - dogwood
Cornelian Cherry , Thomas Jefferson ’s Monticello , https://www.monticello.org / house - gardens / in - bloom - at - monticello / cornelian - cherry/
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood , Cornus Master of Arts , Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest , https://bernheim.org / teach / trees - plant / bernheim - select - urban - trees / cornelian - cherry - dogwood/
Feature Photo : Cornus florida , Katja Schulz , Wikimedia Commons
