It is a unique tree.īetty Montgomery is a master gardener and author of “Hydrangeas: How To Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” and “A Four-Season Southern Garden. If you do grow one, people will be asking you the name. It is a plant worth seeking, planting, and enjoying. I have never had any issues with either of mine and I enjoy the wonderful display of flowers it produces in the winter. The dogwood grows rather quickly and new shoots are allowed to extend to four or five nodes before they are cut back to one or two leaf pairs. I do bring these colorful flowers into the house and enjoy them in a vase of water. Deciduous multistemed shrub or small tree, 20-25 ft ( 6-8m) high, spreading to 15 ft (4.5 m), oval-round outline, slender stems. If I need to remove a branch, I do it in the winter, knowing that I am removing the flowers as well. I do remove branches that are crossing over each other or ones that are in too low since I grow mine as trees. I have rarely needed to prune my small trees. And, like most dogwoods, cornus mas is best fertilized in the early spring. It will not do well in soil that remains constantly wet. It is happy in well-drained soil that is rich in humus that is slightly acidic. If it gets too little sun, the flowering and fruit production will be reduced. They like full sun to part shade, requiring a bit more sun than most dogwoods. ‘Golden Glory’ is my favorite only because it is the first tree to bloom in my garden but both are lovely plants.Ĭornus mas is easy to grow. ‘Golden Glory’ blooms first and about the time it is finish flowering, Cornus officinalis blooms. I grow two different ones and I love them both. ![]() There are several different cultivated varieties that are available and worth growing. The cornelian cherry dogwood has been recognized for its landscape appeal, winter hardiness, and pest resistance by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. It is a fairly slow-growing species that will take up to 10 years to achieve 15 feet in height.Ĭornus mas is a winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, an honor given in England. ![]() I have only seen Cornus mas grown as a small tree but have read that some people keep it cut back as a shrub, showing multi-stems that emerge from the ground. The wood of the tree is said to be very hard and because of this it was used in ancient times for spears and other weapons. The peeling, brown bark adds winter interest to the garden and stands out since no leaves are present to hide the exfoliating bark. The bark is also quite different and distinct. The fall foliage is usually only a mix of green and yellow colors and occasionally you will see some reddish-purple fall, though the display is not as notable as the fall color of our native dogwood, Cornus florida.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |