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Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: flowering dogwood
Type: Tree
Family: Cornaceae
Zone: 5 to 9
Native Range: Eastern North America
Height: 15 to 30 feet
Spread: 15 to 30 feet
Bloom Time: April to May
Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Description: Pink to reddish pink bracts with yellowish-green centers.
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Leaves: Good Fall Color
Fruit: Showy Fruit
Wildlife: Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies
Tolerates: Clay Soil, Black Walnuts, Deer
Uses: Flowering Tree
Culture
Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers organically rich, acidic soils in part shade. Benefits from a 4-6" mulch which will help keep roots cool and moist in summer. Difficult to transplant from the wild. May be inadvisable at this time to plant this tree in areas where dogwood anthracnose infestations are present (see problems section below).
Noteworthy Characteristics
This flowering dogwood is a small, deciduous tree which typically grows 15-30' (infrequently to 40') with a low-branching, broadly pyramidal but somewhat flat-topped habit. Native to Missouri, but rarely seen in the wild, this pink-flowered variation of the Missouri State tree (Cornus florida) blooms in early spring shortly after, but usually overlapping, the bloom period of the redbuds. The true flowers of this dogwood are actually tiny, yellowish green and insignificant, being compacted into button-like clusters. However, each flower cluster is surrounded by four showy, pink to reddish pink, petal-like bracts which open flat, giving the appearance of a single, large, 3-4" diameter, four-petaled, pink flower. In autumn, the oval, dark green summer leaves (3-6" long) turn a dull yellow mottled with green and rose, gradually changing to a uniform deep rose. Bright red fruits (poisonous to humans, but loved by birds) mature in early fall and usually persist until the middle of December. The reddish brown wood is extremely hard, and has been used to make tool handles.
Problems
Unfortunately this tree, particularly when stressed, is susceptible to a rather large number of disease problems, the most serious of which is dogwood anthracnose. Also susceptible to leaf spot, crown canker, root rot and leaf and twig blight. Stressed trees also become vulnerable to borers. Leaf miners and scale are less serious insect pests. Flower buds of this form are not as hardy as those of the species, resulting in years with mediocre flower production, particularly in Zone 5.
Garden Uses
This popular and beloved tree produces abundant bloom in spring and is commonly planted as a specimen or in small groupings around homes, near patios or in lawns. Also effective in woodland, bird or native plant gardens.