Cornus: the best flowering dogwoods

Cornus is a genus for all seasons. Those grown for their leaves are some of the most beautiful foliage shrubs. Dogwoods grown for the colour of their stems light up the winter garden. Flowering dogwoods wisely hold back their floriferous performance until early summer, after any possible
competition from our more familiar flowering trees.

When it comes to summer flowering trees and large shrubs there is nothing to touch flowering dogwoods. There are few more breathtaking sights than a flowering dogwood in full bloom. I first fell in love with Cornus ‘Porlock’ in the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire. The way the blooms cascaded down the branches, the poise of the flowers, the way they fluttered in the breeze, how they gazed upwards, avoiding the eye, but teasing and tantalising. Its beauty was best admired by grasping a branch and holding it down to admire those creamy bracts, four of them arranged as a flattened star around each dark bobble of tiny flowers. In autumn, strawberry-like fruits weighed down the branches; hardly delicious but edible and very tempting.

The cultivars of C. kousa are often collectively referred to as Chinese dogwoods, although many originate from Japan and Korea. C. kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ is deservedly popular and has the advantage of large flower heads produced on young plants; some cultivars take a few years to bloom with any enthusiasm. C. kousa ‘Teutonia’ is another large, flowering form with immaculate flower heads of rich cream. I have shown this in recent years at
RHS Chelsea Flower Show and it has always proved to be a star of the show.

The North American dogwoods, cultivars of C. florida and C. nuttallii, are less popular because of their susceptibility to the fungal disease cornus anthracnose. A pity, as most mature to form wonderful, pagoda-like small trees with elegant branches and upturned twigs. In winter, flowerbuds are enclosed by the immature bracts on the bare branches, appearing like tiny finials at the end of every twig. As the blooms develop the bracts remain joined at the tips before they pop open.

The hybridisation of flowering dogwoods has led to the development of some spectacular flowering shrubs. C. Venus, bred in the USA, has caused a stir with its massive creamy-white flower heads, which are produced freely, even on young plants. The Stellar series of hybrid flowering dogwoods, exhibit similar flower quality and disease resistance, and will hopefully encourage more to plant these wonderful shrubs and trees.

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How to grow cornus

Flowering dogwoods favour neutral to acid, reasonably moist, but well-drained fertile soil, with plenty of organic matter. However, they are more tolerant than generally thought and often succeed in alkaline conditions if mulched well with organic compost. I have grown dogwood successfully on poor sandy soil and in containers using loam-based growing media.

Cornus are at their best with some light shade and shelter from deciduous trees; they thrive in open woodland settings. Many, such as Cornus 'Porlock' and Cornus florida 'Cherokee Chief', make splendid flowering trees for small gardens. Flowering dogwoods are best planted as young, container-grown plants from October to March.

Young plants are not particularly attractive, giving little idea of the glorious subjects they will become; which puts many off planting them.

The best flowering dogwoods

A wonderful display of blooms in late spring and rich autumn tints make this a fine specimen dogwood tree for a small garden. Prefers deep, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Crocus

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Garden Plants

A vigorous new dogwood cultivar, bred for disease resistance. Domed, greenish-white bracts in early summer and good autumn leaf colour. Upright and narrow in habit on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

This dogwood has large, rounded, creamy-white blooms appear in early spring, and are spectacular after a good summer the previous year. Crimson-pink autumn colour. Upright and narrow in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus 'Eddie’s White Wonder' from Suttons

Buy Cornus 'Eddie’s White Wonder' from Ornamental Trees

A robust, upright, hybrid dogwood with dark-green foliage and long-lasting autumn colour. Wonderful display of white bracts in an open, sunny position; no fruit. A good small, specimen tree.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus aurora ‘Rutban’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

A recent introduction with exceptionally large, creamy-white bracts. Dark-green foliage and vibrant autumn colour. This dogwood is best in a sheltered situation to avoid damage to flowers.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus 'Venus' from Thompson & Morgan

Flowering from an early age, this large, spreading cultivar produces abundant creamy bracts that colour pink as they age, and are followed by luxuriant strawberry-like fruits in autumn. Easy to grow, this dogwood is tolerant of most soils, apart from shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus 'Porlock' from Gardeners Dream

Pretty, variegated dogwood shrub with pointed, grey-green leaves margined with white; starry, white blooms in early summer. Best grown in semi-shade on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

A popular and easy to grow dogwood. Thrives on most soils, including heavy clay. Robust and free flowering with the bonus of good autumn colour and crimson fruits that follow creamy flowers.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Crocus

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Ornamental Trees

A bushy dogwood plant; upright, then spreading in character. The creamy-white bracts become blotched with pink as they age and are followed by deep-pink fruits. Outstanding.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘John Slocock’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

Abundant, creamy-white bracts that do not blush pink as they fade. The bracts start small, star-like and green, and stand on short stalks along the branches. This dogwood is upright in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Ornamental Trees

Elegant dogwood plant with a broad, spreading habit. Large, pink bracts, poised along branches in early summer, become more intense in colour as they age. Orange-red autumn foliage.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa 'Miss Satomi' from J. Parker's

Buy Cornus kousa 'Miss Satomi' from Crocus

Elegantly pointed bracts curve inwards at first as the blooms sit butterfly-like along the branches; they blush pink as they age. Rich autumn tints and lychee-like fruits appear on this dogwood in autumn.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa 'Madame Butterfly' from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

An improved form of flowering dogwood with abundant blooms on wonderfully sculptural branches in late spring. Lovely autumn foliage. Prefers rich, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida 'Cherokee Chief' from Burncoose Nurseries

Rich, gold-margined leaves turn purple-red edged with scarlet in autumn. Large, white blooms resemble wontons as they open at the tips of the shoots. A compact and upright dogwood.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida 'Rainbow' from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida 'Rainbow' from eBay

The tiny, creeping dogwood forms mats of short, upright stems and dark-green leaves studded with small, white starry blooms. Clusters of red berries follow in autumn.
Height 10cm. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b.

Buy Cornus canadensis from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus canadensis from Crocus

Mature dogwood leaves are mostly gold, splashed green in the centres, turning red, purple and pink in autumn. Large, deep-pink flowers in late spring are striking against the leaves.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida 'Cherokee Sunset' from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida 'Cherokee Sunset' from Pippin Trees

The variegated dogwood is one of the finest foliage shrubs with floating horizontal branches and delicate green and white leaves. Lacy, white flowers in early summer.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Buy Cornus alternifolia 'Argentea' from Primrose

Buy Cornus alternifolia 'Argentea' from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alternifolia 'Argentea' from Paramount Plants & Gardens

Dark-red stems in winter remain decorative after the ochre and green leaves have fallen. This dogwood thrives on any soil; excellent in wet conditions. Cut back hard to 20cm every two years.
Height 1.8m. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba 'Gouchaltii' from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba 'Gouchaltii' from Van Meuwen

Much less vigorous than other red-barked dogwoods; ideal for smaller gardens. Attractive foliage with the bonus of dark red winter stems. Grows on any soil in sun or shade.
Height 2m. Hardiness rating RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba 'Siberica Variegata' from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alba 'Siberica Variegata' from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba 'Siberica Variegata' from Crocus

Tiny, golden flowers on bare stems in late winter before the white and green leaves unfurl. Scarlet fruits in autumn. This dogwood is growing and upright in habit when young.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus mas 'Variegata' from the RHS

Buy Cornus mas 'Variegata' from Burncoose Nurseries

An excellent form of the variegated wedding cake dogwood tree with grey-green leaves with narrow white margins. More vigorous than Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ and better in more challenging growing conditions.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Where to see flowering cornus

• The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• Newby Hall, North Yorkshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• The Savill Garden, Berkshire (Many fine, mature dogwood specimens)