Dogwood Tree

The Dogwood tree is a beautiful, hardy and versatile tree which thrives in most areas of the United States. The flowering variety produces a full canopy of flowers ranging from white to pink to red depending on the particular tree itself, usually identified within the name. For instance, the White Dogwood produces white flowers and the Pink Dogwood makes beautiful pink flowers. Because it will grow from 3 feet to over 60 feet tall, it’s a wonderful choice for a variety of garden styles.

Varieties

There are two varieties of Dogwood, one being the Flowering Dogwood and the other is the Twig Dogwood. There is a diversity of Flowering Dogwood with slightly different flowers particular to each. The Twig variety actually does bear small flowers but are mainly used to create shrubs, with colorful branches and berries that attract birds. The genus classification is Cornus.

Habitat and Care
They do well in damp, but not overly wet environments, so the shorter trees are a popular addition near a garden pond or natural stream. Dogwood is a graceful tree and provides elegance where ever it’s planted. For an ornamental element, plant Dogwood Tree alone, or plant in groups to provide shade and beauty. They like well drained, nutrient rich soil. They will tolerate shade or partial sun and are basically an easy tree to care for. The only disease that affects them is a fungus called dogwood anthracnose which can be treated with careful pruning and fungicide.

Other Information

Some additional interesting information on the Dogwood is its use in traditional Chinese medicine and during the Civil War; its bark was used as a tea to help with pain and fever. The timber is suitable for guitar parts and arrows as it is strong and finely grained.