Native Dogwood

Parent Cafe
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<p>What is this disease native dogwoods are said to be susceptibale? I have 15-20 white flowering native dogwood in the yards. They are a bit scraggy as the native tend to be. They don’t look sick to me. Over the years I’ve lost several leaving vacant spots that I’d like to fill in. I am debating to replace them with a hybrid if the disease is real and threatening. Opinions?</p>

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<p>I don’t know anything about dogwoods, but when I told my landscaper that I wanted “dogwood alternatives”, he suggested Japanese stewartia and seven sons trees. I love them.</p>

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<p>I think you are thinking of anthracnose. I live in an area known for dogwoods and nurseries here recommend different species than the natives to avoid this. Your local nursery should be able to make a recommendation on a variety not so disease prone.</p>

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<p>“Star dogwood,” an Asian variety, is apparently immune to anthracnose. It blooms later than the common dogwood that grows wild around here, likes more sun, and has a denser habit. </p>

<p>Anthracnose is more of a problem in some areas than others, and seems to wax and wane depending on the weather in various years. If your trees get it, their leaves will get black around the edges and shrivel up.</p>

<p>I haven’t had great luck planting “bought” dogwoods, but the ones that have just sprung up in my woods of their own accord do just fine. I prune or cut back the trees around them to improve the air circulation.</p>

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<p>I had to look up seven sons tree. The picture looks beautiful but sounds extremely hardy. I do have a stewardia pseudocarmelia on my patio. Is japanese stewardia different.</p>

<p>Anthrocnose sounds right. None of our dogwood has it now. I did manage raising a native from a year seedling. It is still tiny, 4 feet tall, but looks quite healthy so far. Our local nursery carries japanese dogwood - kousa(?) and cherokee princesses. Kousa dogwoods look quite different. I may try cherokee variety. They branch out sooner and the tree shapes up different. Leaves and flowers look the same. Any other ideas?</p>

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<p>If you’re looking for a flowering tree–you might like a Franklinia tree. I have one in my garden area and I love it. Here’s it is.</p>

<p>[Franklinia</a> Tree, Franklinia Facts, Franklinia Common Name, Franklinia Photos.](<a href=“http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Shopping/franklinia-tree.html]Franklinia”>Latest - Altius Directory)</p>

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<p>In the PNW it’s the western flowering dogwood, Cornus nutallii, that’s susceptible to anthracnose. I love mine but wouldn’t plant them again because there is so much limb die-back each year and the trees look dead by the end of summer due to the anthracnose infestation. C. kousa is an excellent alternative. It blooms later in the season, has large, showy white “flowers” followed by showy red fruits. The fruits are messy, though, so I wouldn’t plant it over a patio (as ours is). C. kousa is resistant to anthracnose. </p>

<p>Stewartias are great trees. Though their flowers aren’t as showy, the bark is gorgeous and they have great fall color. </p>

<p>Another tree to consider, depending on where you live, is Styrax japonicum, Japanese snowbell. Its leaves and white flowers are daintier but it blooms en masse. No fall color, though.
<a href=“http://www.portlandnursery.com/plants/trees/styrax.shtml[/url]”>http://www.portlandnursery.com/plants/trees/styrax.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Finally, have you thought about Albizzia julibrissen, sometimes called the Silk Tree or Mimosa? In the south it can be invasive, but that’s not a problem in my part of the country. The feathery flowers are so beautiful and have a delicate but tropical fragrance. Fernlike leaves. It is not a good choice if it overhangs flower or shrub beds, patio, or other area that needs to be kept tidy since it drops a lot of (fine-textured) debris. If that’s not an issue, it’s a spectacular tree. No fall color for this one either, though. In addition to the standard variety, there’s a newer “summer chocolate” cultivar with bronze leaves instead of green.
<a href=“http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/aljuka1160677.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/alju.html&h=450&w=600&sz=126&tbnid=3u3GmE2qsLzkYM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dalbizia%2Bjulibrissin%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=albizia+julibrissin&docid=-DeKYSCa-rypcM&sa=X&ei=mcSzT6DIH6ewiQL5yfGRAg&ved=0CJABEPUBMAQ&dur=1237[/url]”>http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/aljuka1160677.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/alju.html&h=450&w=600&sz=126&tbnid=3u3GmE2qsLzkYM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dalbizia%2Bjulibrissin%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=albizia+julibrissin&docid=-DeKYSCa-rypcM&sa=X&ei=mcSzT6DIH6ewiQL5yfGRAg&ved=0CJABEPUBMAQ&dur=1237&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I am crazy about trees but have a very small yard!</p>

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<p>I have to respectfully disagree. Flowers are gorgeous, white, huge 2-3", blooms late spring. In the fall leaves turn burning red to orange, bark is interesting all year around.</p>

<p>I can’t say I like kousa dogwoods. They are a little dense, a bit too regular/geometric. My project at the moment is to keep everything as native as possible. For now anyway. I just spent a fortune putting in native mountain laurels and native Rhodies. They look scraggy. Feeling like a botanical Don Quixote at the moment.</p>

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<p>Interesting, Igloo. I have two stewartias, both of which I planted many years ago and are now taller than our house. They’re probably my favorite trees. But when mine flower, the leaves are already so lush that the flowers are somewhat hidden. Unlike the dogwoods, my stewartias’ flowering is a bit staggered, also lessening the show a bit. They’re lovely, though, almost like hard-boiled eggs with their cheery yellow centers.</p>

<p>Our kousa is a multi-trunked, vase-shaped tree, much more open and graceful in form than our nutalliis, which are more upright and regular. I sought this shape when choosing the tree, which is now also taller than our house now. </p>

<p>All of which is to say that it’s crucial to choose thoughtfully, as you clearly are doing, not just the species and variety but also the individual specimens. Good luck with your plantings. I wish I had several empty tree spots to fill!</p>

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<p>We live in the northwest but in the city so I have to select trees very carefully, so not to overwhelm the lot.
Growing up our yard in the suburbs had mostly had native plants, and we had a Cornus nuttalli, but as a specimen tree.
[What</a> Has Happened to Our Dogwoods? | February 2012 eNewsletter](<a href=“http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/newsletters/stories/what_has_happened_to_our_dogwoods/]What”>http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/newsletters/stories/what_has_happened_to_our_dogwoods/)</p>

<p>The only dogwoods I now have are red twig in a hedgerow, which are more shrubby, they are grown more for winter than fall color.</p>

<p>I love stewartia also, but as I have a smallish urban lot, I have to be selective with my specimen trees. ( and I also do edible landscaping so don’t want to block too much sun)
I do have a Japanese snowbell, but as I haven’t decided where to place it, it is still in a pot until I do.</p>

<p>I have 6 vine maples, if you have the setting for dogwoods, vine maples might do well. They aren’t as showy as dogwoods, but can get good fall color and the branching pattern is interesting. In the woods you will see them growing alongside dogwoods.
[The</a> Wild Garden: Hansen’s Northwest Native Plant Database](<a href=“http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/ace_cir.html]The”>Vine Maple (Acer circinatum), Pacific northwest native tree)</p>

<p>With climate change the antHracnose fungus is apparently becoming more prevalent, so I don’t have plans to plant any, even though I like them, but I have heard some of the cultivars are more resistant.</p>

<p>Another small tree I like is witch hazel. It gets good fall color, interesting branching, and winter flowers on bare stems. I have the hamamelis Virginiana which isnt as showy as some of the cultivars. They are also fragrant.</p>

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<p>^Interesting article about dogwoods. I don’t really notice any disease on my dogwoods at the moment. Maybe I am lucked out? Norwegian maples grow like a weed around here clogging up drain pipes. Vine maples sound interesting but their spreading habit not so much.</p>

<p>About Franklin tree, mock orange, they are lovely and the flowers are fragrant. They like more sun than dogwoods. I would love to have that tree when a sunny spot opens up.</p>

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<p>EK, my anecdotal observation is that people tend to plant Styrax japonica without giving it enough space. It can be a broad, fairly dense, large tree at maturity. The dogwoods and Stewartias are more open and better for gardening beneath in my experience. So that pot might be the perfect spot for your Styrax. If you’d like to do some propagation, the Styrax self-seeds like crazy! I’m also a fan of witch hazel and maples, particularly the Japanese maple cultivars.</p>

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<p>Speaking of witch hazel, can you prune it now-ish? The witch hazel we have was half taken over by a sucker. I took the sucker out finally a few years ago that had a branch thicker than the main branch. Now, it is doing well but it is lopsided from leaning away from the sucker many years. I would like to prune it to a bush shape. It has a main trunk but not many strong side branches.</p>

<p>update on dogwood; I went ahead and planted a native straight specimen under a pin oak and a hickory tree. Hopefully, it will do well.</p>

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<p>Winter s generally when you prune, or for witchazel, after flowering. When does yours flower? Mine is the native, so it flowers in the fall.
Pruning now can stimulate growth.
Remove suckers in fall.
Is yours a cultivar? Those are often grafted onto Virginiana.</p>

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<p>Yes, I think so. It was grafted to another witch hazel judging from the sucker. It blooms early February or late January. Encouraging growth may not be bad if trying to force it to a bush. Is there any negatives in doing so?</p>

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<p>Can you tell where the graft is?
You don’t want to stimulate growth from the Virginiana roots.</p>

<p>Now should be a good time to prune since they bud on old wood.
Is it “Diane”? ( reddish blooms)</p>

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<p>General pruning advice.
[PlantAmnesty</a> - Cass’ Book: Timing](<a href=“http://www.plantamnesty.org/6024_pages/old_gold_archives/xtyui/bkTiming.html]PlantAmnesty”>http://www.plantamnesty.org/6024_pages/old_gold_archives/xtyui/bkTiming.html)</p>

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<p>^^No yellow. I think it’s virginiana. It is grafted at the top(?) of roots right where it is covered with dirt. I just planted a weeping cherry not too far from it for my kid HS graduation/going to college leaving home. The gawkiness of a lopsided witch hazel looks worse now next to the dainty cherry tree.</p>