Dogwood trees are one of the most beloved and iconic flowering trees in the landscape. When they burst into bloom in spring, their gorgeous flowers are a sure sign that warmer weather has arrived.
Beyond their spring floral display, dogwood trees offer year-round appeal. They have pretty foliage that turns red, orange or yellow in fall. Some varieties have striking red or yellow winter stems. And they tend to be compact, fitting gracefully even into small gardens.
If you’re looking for a focal point specimen tree that delivers stunning beauty through all four seasons, it’s hard to beat dogwoods. Let’s explore some creative ways to showcase these stellar trees in your landscape design.
1. Pair Dogwoods with Evergreens
The bold green needles of evergreen trees and shrubs make a perfect backdrop for deciduous dogwoods. The contrast of textures and colors helps the dogwood’s colorful flowers, fall foliage, and branch structure stand out beautifully. Some classic evergreen companions include pine, spruce, juniper, boxwood, and holly.
2. Use Dogwoods to Frame an Entry
Dogwood’s compact size makes them ideal for flanking an entryway. Plant one on either side of a front walkway or porch steps. When they bloom, it will feel like entering through a portal of flowers. For symmetry, choose two matching specimens of the same variety.
3. Combine Flowering and Colorful Stem Varieties
For extended seasonal interest plant different types of dogwoods together. Choose a flowering dogwood like Cornus florida for spring blooms, plus a shrubby dogwood like Cornus sericea or Cornus alba that has red or yellow winter stems.
4. Underplant with Bulbs
Spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils and crocus look fantastic emerging from the ground beneath dogwoods Time it so they bloom simultaneously or sequentially The coordinated colors will make a knockout spring display.
5. Use Dogwoods as a Hedge or Screen
Dogwood shrubs make a great informal flowering hedge or privacy screen. Space them about 5 feet apart to create a natural living fence. Some good choices include red-twig dogwood, gray dogwood, and silky dogwood.
6. Plant as a Flowering Island
Create a dogwood focal point by planting one as a “specimen” tree in the middle of the yard or surrounded by mulch or groundcover plants. This draws the eye and becomes a standout landscape feature.
7. Grow Against Structures
Situate dogwoods near vertical features like walls, arbors, fences or trellises. This gives the horizontal branching structure a solid backdrop to pop against, and provides support for espalier or vine training if desired.
8. Use in Woodland Gardens
Many dogwood species thrive in shade, so they’re ideal for partially shaded woodland garden designs. Combine them with shade-loving perennials like astilbe, hosta, ferns, bleeding heart and hellebore.
9. Plant by Patio or Deck
Locate dogwoods close to outdoor living areas where their blossoms can be admired and enjoyed up close. Plant near seating areas, tables, or along the edges of patios and decks.
10. Mix with Native Plants
Dogwoods pair beautifully with other native plants commonly found growing together in the wild. Attractive companions include redbuds, serviceberry, blueberry, spicebush, witch hazel, bottlebrush buckeye and wildflowers.
11. Use in Japanese Garden Style
The graceful form, flowering display and fall color of dogwoods complement Japanese garden aesthetics nicely. Plant them near water features, stone lanterns, evergreens, and rock groupings.
12. Accent with Garden Art
Decorate your dogwood with charming garden art or hardscaping. Ideas include birdhouses, butterfly houses, nesting boxes, benches, trellises, stepping stone paths, fountains and interesting garden sculptures.
13. Grow in Containers
Dogwood shrubs kept compact through pruning can be grown in large planters or urns. Use this to flank an entryway, accent a patio, or create a focal point in the garden. Provide well-drained soil and ample water.
14. Plant Around Garden Features
Dogwood’s ornamental qualities make a pretty backdrop for all kinds of garden features. Plant them around water features, fire pits, sheds, arbors, pergolas, retaining walls, and other hardscaping elements.
15. Use Near Ponds or Streams
The naturally moist soil around water features suits dogwood’s preference for consistently damp (but not waterlogged) soil. Plus the reflection of the tree doubles its beauty.
16. Combine with Flowering Trees
For a spectacular spring show, plant dogwoods alongside other flowering ornamental trees like redbuds, magnolias, cherry blossom, crabapple, serviceberry, flowering pear and plum.
17. Mix with Rhododendrons
The lavish blooms of rhododendrons and azaleas make the perfect accompanying act for flowering dogwoods. Plant them in sweeping drifts beneath and around dogwood trees.
18. Use in Rain Gardens and Bioswales
Many dogwood species tolerate soggy soils quite well. Take advantage of this by using them in low wet areas of the landscape that collect stormwater runoff like rain gardens and bioswales.
Choosing Your Dogwood Varieties
With so many wonderful dogwood trees and shrubs to pick from, it can be tough deciding which are best for your landscape vision. Here are a few top variety recommendations:
Flowering Dogwood – The classic spring bloomer with showy white or pink bracts. Stunning as a focal point specimen.
Kousa Dogwood – Prolific summer bloomer with unique star-shaped flowers. Very disease resistant.
Red Twig Dogwood – Yellow flowers followed by red winter stems that create striking color.
Pagoda Dogwood – Horizontally layered branching structure with pretty white spring flowers.
Corneliancherry Dogwood – Early spring yellow flowers and red fruit that attracts birds.
Silky Dogwood – Bushy and fast-growing with blue berries loved by wildlife.
Dogwoods have so much to offer throughout the seasons. Now that you’re inspired with design ideas, it’s time to plant one (or more) in your own landscape!
Annuals To Plant With Dogwood
Annual plants must be carefully selected to grow alongside Dogwood shrubs. The dense mass of branches can easily overwhelm most annual plants or simply look out of scale. Hardy annuals that also spread their own seeds give a garden a more natural, laid-back look that goes well with native plants like Dogwood. Plant cosmos, cornaria, poppies, and nigella. These plants are tall enough to stand out against large Dogwood trees.
Perennials To Plant With Dogwood
Combining perennials with Dogwood is where the real fun is. There is a wide variety of foliage shapes and colors to choose from among perennials. Evergreen grasses such as sedges, carex, or mondo grass can be effectively used as ground cover with Dogwoods. Such plantings will look great all year and make for very low-maintenance weed suppression. Blue fescue and Japanese forest grass are two other low-growing ornamental grasses that can be used as ground cover. In the summer, the dark leaves of Dogwood will stand out against them.
It’s easy to plan a winter landscape with just a few key perennials and any type of Red Twig Dogwood. Select perennials that are semi-evergreen like hellebores, iris, or autumn-blooming sedum for stunning silhouettes in the winter landscape. In the summer, coneflowers, black-eyed susan, and agastache have lots of flowers that can be left to turn into seeds that animals can eat in the winter. The seeds also add texture to the landscape in the winter.
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FAQ
What pairs well with a dogwood tree?
How close together can you plant dogwood trees?
How should a dogwood tree look?
How do you shape a flowering dogwood tree?
How do I choose a dogwood tree?
Here are some key points to consider: Determine the Right Variety: Dogwoods come in various forms – from small trees like Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood) to shrubs like Cornus sericea (Red Twig Dogwood). Consider your space, climate, and the specific look you are aiming for.
Are dogwood trees a good plant?
Dogwood trees and shrubs are beautiful focal points in a landscape, with distinctive bark and delicate flowers. Keep them happy in moist soil and sun. In North America, gardeners are likely to think of dogwoods as large trees whereas Japanese gardens feature small, graceful forms of Cornus and European gardeners are likely to plant shrub species.
What kind of dogwood is best for a garden?
Gardeners can enjoy year-round interest by choosing the right dogwood variety, from spring blossoms and summer foliage to autumn colors and winter textures. Cornus florida, the Flowering Dogwood, is renowned for its year-round beauty. This large shrub or small tree boasts a rounded, tiered canopy.
Are dogwood trees spring-flowering?
One of the most iconic spring-flowering trees in the landscape is the dogwood. In fact, there are 17 different types of dogwood trees and shrubs ( Cornus spp) that grow in North America. “They range from ground cover-like plants to large trees,” says Ben Chu, horticulture manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
What are the different types of dogwood trees?
Get your free planting design guide! There are various kinds of Dogwood trees but basically three main types. These are the Flowering Dogwood, Kousa, and hybrids. The first is a native tree and the one you most likely think of when picturing this plant. It is also one of my favorites and one I use quite often in my landscape designs for clients.
What is a dogwood tree?
A dogwood tree is a flowering, deciduous tree belonging to the genus Cornus within the family Cornaceae. Dogwoods are native to various regions across North America, Europe, and Asia. They are known for their showy, petal-like bracts that resemble flowers, attractive foliage, vibrant fall colors, and often colorful or exfoliating bark.