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GARDENER'S
READING ROOM
Trees and Shrubs
Dogwoods
 Dogwoods
have long reigned as the Queen of spring-flowering trees.
Showy bracts line the branches for weeks. A mature dogwood
is a memorable sight. The name dogwood (botanical name Cornus)
is derived from the Old English dagge or dagger.
Traditionally
with dogwoods we think pink. Dogwoods do pink very well. Most
common is Cornus florida 'Rubra' and its many named
cultivars. The most notable is 'Cherokee Brave.'
This cultivar's outstanding features are vigorous growth
and large, deep rose bracts. The bracts are not truly part
of the flower; the actual flower is the central portion where
the bracts join together.
Cornus
florida, though native to the southeast, does splendidly here
with one notable exception - ANTHRACNOSE. This foliage disease
is crippling to Cornus florida. Control entails spraying a
systemic fungicide at regular intervals and siting the plant
in full sun with good ventilation.
Enter
the dogwood of the new millennium. Cornus kousa, AKA Korean
Dogwood or Chinese Dogwood, is a stunning newcomer that has
already surpassed the southern belle C. florida. Kousa is
different in several ways. One is its late flowering habit
- normally June, sometimes through July - how's that
for staying power! Next come its vigor and flower production.
Kousa is easy to grow and has as many flowers as there are
stars in the sky - hence C. kousa 'Milky Way!'
The
best reason to grow this dogwood is its apparent near-imperviousness
to anthracnose. Move over florida, there's a new queen
comin'. Outstanding cultivars include 'Milky Way'
with its stunning white flower display and 'Satomi,'
the best-known pink cultivar. Smaller in stature than 'Milky
Way', 'Satomi's warm pinky-rose bracts are
as showy as the old Southern belles' are, but they appear
later and last longer.
Culture
for either dogwood is similar. Full sun is best, but kousa
will tolerate shade or partial shade better than florida.
Well-drained organic loamy soil is ideal but dogwood seems
to 'tough out' less than perfect soil. The tree
isn't a heavy feeder, but it does benefit from an annual
light feeding of an organic rose or rhododendron fertilizer.
Insects are not usually a big problem on dogwoods.
Neem
oil spray usually does the job on both insects and diseases
and has a short life in the environment. Sometimes a dogwood
will develop a peculiar twist or cupping of the foliage. This
phenomenon is normal and usually only happens while the plant
is young. Should a question about your tree's health
come up, bring in a sample to any of our nursery personnel
for the answer.
Most
dogwoods are not known for fabulous fall color but often we
are surprised by the range of colors possible on dogwood foliage
- from showy burgundy to bright yellows, dogwoods finish up
the year as nicely as they started.
By
Charlie Shull, W.C.N.
Skylights Spring/Summer 2000, Vol 14, No. 2
Other
articles on trees and shrubs
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