Flowering Dogwood

Flowering dogwood is the tree that lights up the edge of an Appalachian woodlot in early spring, opening its four white bracts before the leaves come out. It is an understory tree by nature, reaching up to 30 ft with a crown about as wide as the tree is tall, 15 to 30 feet across by NC State Extension's measure. Moderate growth, low water once it is settled, and at home on a sunny woodland margin, a fencerow, or the edge of a food forest.

It earns its keep by what it feeds. The USDA NRCS plant guide notes the fruit is high in calcium and fat, which is why songbirds, wild turkey, chipmunks, gray squirrels, black bear and deer all take it, and NC State lists the tree as a larval host for the spring azure butterfly. One plain caution, since most of our catalog is food for people: this fruit is not. The NRCS plant guide warns that the fruit of flowering dogwood is poisonous to humans, so leave the red berries to the birds.

Plant two or more if you want a fruit crop for the wildlife. The USDA Forest Service tells seed collectors to skip isolated dogwoods, because they appear to be self-sterile and most of their stones come up empty. These ship bare root and dormant: soak the roots, set the tree with the root flare level, and water it faithfully through the first season while its shallow roots find their footing.