Dogwood layers its beauty across three seasons — showy spring bracts, deep red fall foliage, and bright berries that feed birds through the colder months.
Native to eastern North America, flowering dogwood naturally grows as an understory tree beneath taller forest canopy, and its horizontal, layered branching and four-petaled spring "flowers" (actually bracts surrounding a tiny true flower cluster) have made it one of the most beloved small ornamental trees.
Dogwood prefers partial shade and moist, well-draining, slightly acidic soil, mimicking the dappled woodland edge it naturally grows in. Consistent watering during its first couple of years, and avoiding lawnmower or trimmer damage to its shallow trunk, go a long way toward long-term health.
Dogwood is the state flower and state tree of both Virginia and North Carolina, and its blossom has long symbolized rebirth, resilience, and durability.
