Flowering dogwood trees

The flowering dogwoods are hardy versatile small trees, often with long-lasting spring blossom.

• Cherokee Daybreak

  An upright spreading form of the American dogwood, with white blossom and variegated leaves.

  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  Cornus florida

• Cherokee Princess

  Cherokee Princess is an American flowering dogwood, noted for its large white flower clusters.
  Cornus florida

• Cherokee Sunset

  Sunset is a small ornamental American Dogwood, grown for its multi-coloured foliage.
  Cornus florida

• Cornus florida

  This is the American Flowering Dogwood, featuring bright white flowers and strong autumn colours.
  Cornus florida

• Cornus kousa chinensis

  

  This is the Chinese Dogwood, and features a mass of large white blossom, followed by attractive autumn leaf colours.

  • Awards: RHS AGM (former)
  Cornus kousa chinensis

• Cornus mas

  

  An unusual tree, with small yellow flowers in mid-winter, red fruitlets in summer, and tinted autumn foliage.

  • Awards: RHS AGM (former)
  Cornus mas

• Golden Glory

  This form of the Cornelian Cherry features small yellow flowers in mid-winter, and small red fruitlets in autumn.

  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  Cornus mas

• Kasanlak

  An attractive form of the Cornelian Cherry producing pear-shaped fruits with an acidic fragrant flavour.
  Cornus mas

• White Fountain

  This flowering dogwood is characterised by its large white bracts, and attractive red autumn leaf colours.
  Cornus kousa

How to choose Flowering dogwood trees

The flowering dogwood trees are classified in the genus Cornus. There are several species, the most popular being Cornus kousa, the Chinese dogwood, and the earlier-flowering Cornus florida, the American dogwood.

Most of our dogwoods are raised from seed, but the fruiting ones are usually grafted.

The appearance of the spring blossom in many of the flowering dogwoods is somewhat unusual. The flowers are quite small, but surrounded by (usually 4) large bracts which have the appearance of large petals. The blossom is usually quite long lasting and is the main feature of many of these trees. However some forms also have attractive autumn leaf colours too.

Although primarily ornamental trees, many dogwoods produce small edible fruitlets.  The species Cornus mas, also known as the Cornelian Cherry, is the best choice if you are interested in the fruiting potential of this genus.

Most dogwoods are small trees, very hardy, and tolerant of most situations. They do not mind some shade and in the wild are often found growing under other larger trees.