Alternate leaf Dogwood Quick Growth Guide

Photo:

peganum from Small Dole, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alternate leaf dogwood has, as one would expect, alternate leaves, which turn to maroon foliage in the fall. When it is not competing with nearby trees or buildings, its branches will tier or layer horizontally, giving the appearance of a layered tierred pagoda with upturned branches. It has a fibrous, spreading root system and prefers a cool root zone. This dogwood can reach a height of 15 to 25 feet. It grows in both moist and dry forests, as well as forest margins, stream banks, and fields.

In Hardiness zone 5, it fruit will typically mature around august first, at which time a feeding frenzy by Cow Birds might be obeserved.

Quick Growing Guide

Ritchie Feed and Seed Ad

Botanical Name: Cornus alternifolia

Also Called: Pagoda Dogwood

En français: Cornouiller à feuilles alterne

Colour:

Blooms:

Water: Low water requirement

Pollinators:

Hardiness Zones:

This alternate leaf dogwood should be pruned every few years as branches tend to grow into available space, perhaps distorting the trees natural shape (of looking like a layered pagoda)

Provides cover and nesting sites. Dry, bitter berries are winter food for birds and mammals. Larval food source for Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta).

Its natural habitat: Understory of deciduous forests, thickets, open woods, hillsides and ravine slopes, along streams.

Comments

Logging in to comment gives you more features, but it is not required.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

More From Gardening Calendar

Slender Blazing Star

Slender Blazing Star is best to plant with slow-growing perennials or as a border plant. Discover more about this non-competitive plant.

The Ultimate Guide To Garden Mulching

Many gardeners aren’t aware of the myriad benefits mulching can bring to your garden. If you’re looking for healthier soil, fewer pests, stronger plants, and a more attractive garden, then mulch could very well be the answer.