Flowering Dogwood care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) wants partial shade and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Cornus florida |
|---|---|
| family | Cornaceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | partial shade |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| min zone | 5 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Flowering Dogwood?
Keep the shallow roots evenly moist and mulched.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: medium. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 28 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 80 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 4.8. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.7. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 160 frost-free days. Its tolerance of chalky soil is low. Its fire tolerance is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -28°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a multiple stem form. Its growth rate is moderate. Its lifespan is short. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 30.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 20 feet. Its roots go down at least 18 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in early spring. The flowers are white. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: yes. The fruit or seed is red. Fruit begins in spring. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits medium. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is medium. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02