Landscaping around your home can make it look more attractive, and trees are among the most impressive and useful landscape elements. If you’d like your house to appear wider, plant a tree near its corner, choosing a variety that’s not too tall but has a wide canopy. A dogwood tree can be a good example in this regard, due to its mature height of 15 to 30 feet and a spreading form that can reach 30 feet wide.
Many dogwood shrubs and trees are distinguished by showy flower heads, flowers or bracts. Large or small, the white, yellow, pink or red blossoms always have four petals. The combination of attractive flowers, excellent fall color in many species and varieties, brilliantly colored new growth in some species and showy fall fruits make dogwood species good choices for woodland gardens, habitat gardens and layouts where landscape elements must remain interesting in three or even four seasons.
Dogwood fruits can be red, blue-black, yellow or white at maturity. Most are classified as “drupes,” which means that the actual seed is enclosed in a stony wall, which is in turn enclosed by a fleshy exterior coating. Dogwood fruits are attractive and edible to birds and small animals. Some species’ fruits are bitter-tasting and may cause mild gastric distress in humans.
In nature, dogwood trees grow as understory plants bordering mixed deciduous and evergreen forests, thriving in the protection and partial shade provided by larger trees. In the home garden, dogwood trees flower best when they have sunlight, but not full sun. Dense shade and full sun both hinder flowering.
Types of Dogwood Trees & Shrubs – Identification
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
Perhaps the most beloved dogwood in North America, this small deciduous tree grows 15–30 feet tall and is famous for its stunning spring display of large white or pink bracts surrounding tiny yellow-green flowers. Native to eastern North America, it produces red berries that attract birds, and its fall foliage turns a vivid scarlet-purple. It thrives in partial shade and well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)
Native to Japan, Korea, and China, the Kousa dogwood blooms several weeks later than Cornus florida, producing pointed white or pink bracts in late spring to early summer. It is far more resistant to dogwood anthracnose, a serious fungal disease, making it a popular alternative. Its strawberry-like red fruits are edible, and the bark exfoliates attractively with age, adding year-round visual interest.
Also Read: Types of Magnolia Trees And Shrubs
Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
The largest of the native North American dogwoods, this West Coast species can reach 60 feet in height. It bears large white bracts — often six in number rather than the typical four — and sometimes blooms twice a year, once in spring and again briefly in fall. It is the provincial flower of British Columbia and performs best in cool, moist climates with good drainage.
Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
A vigorous, wide-spreading shrub native to much of North America, the red osier dogwood is most prized for its brilliant crimson-red stems, which provide striking winter color in the landscape. It grows 6–9 feet tall, produces clusters of small white flowers in spring, and yields white to pale blue berries. It tolerates wet, poorly drained soils exceptionally well, making it ideal for rain gardens and streambanks.
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas)
One of the earliest trees to bloom in late winter to early spring, the Cornelian cherry produces masses of tiny yellow flowers on bare branches before any leaves emerge. Native to southern Europe and western Asia, it grows as a large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, reaching 15–25 feet. Its bright red, cherry-like fruits are edible, used in preserves and liqueurs, and the plant tolerates a wider range of soil conditions than most dogwoods.
Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum)
A native North American shrub growing 6–10 feet, the silky dogwood earns its name from the silky hairs on its stems and leaf undersides. It produces flat-topped clusters of creamy white flowers in early summer, followed by blue-white berries heavily favored by wildlife. It thrives in moist to wet environments along streams and pond edges and is widely used in habitat restoration and erosion control projects.
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
A tough, adaptable native shrub found throughout the eastern United States, gray dogwood grows 6–10 feet and spreads by root suckers to form dense thickets. Its white flower clusters in late spring give way to white berries on striking red fruit stalks, creating a beautiful two-toned display. The gray-brown stems are distinctive, and the plant tolerates drought, poor soils, and partial shade, making it one of the most versatile native shrubs available.
Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
Native to the central United States and southern Great Plains, this multi-stemmed shrub or small tree grows 10–15 feet tall and is notable for its exceptionally rough, sandpaper-textured leaf surfaces. It produces white flower clusters in spring and small white drupes that are avidly consumed by songbirds. It is highly drought-tolerant once established and is increasingly valued in prairie restorations and native plant landscapes.
Stiff Dogwood (Cornus foemina)
Found naturally in the moist woodlands and floodplains of the southeastern United States, stiff dogwood is a suckering shrub or small tree growing 10–15 feet tall. It bears small clusters of white flowers followed by blue berries on red stalks. The leaves are relatively narrow compared to other dogwoods, and the reddish or greenish stems turn more colorful in winter. It is an excellent choice for wet, low-lying areas in the landscape.
Alternate-Leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Unlike most dogwoods, which have opposite leaves, this species has alternately arranged leaves, earning it its common name. Also called pagoda dogwood for its layered, horizontal branching habit, it grows 15–25 feet and offers tremendous multi-season interest: white flowers in spring, blue-black berries in summer, and reddish-purple fall color. It is native to eastern North America and performs best in partial shade with moist, well-drained soils.
Bloodtwig Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
Native to Europe and western Asia, this upright shrub grows 6–10 feet and is named for the blood-red color of its new twigs, which intensify dramatically in winter sun. Cultivars such as ‘Midwinter Fire’ display spectacular gradients of orange, red, and yellow along the stems. It bears clusters of white flowers in late spring and dark purple-black berries in late summer. It adapts well to a variety of soils and is widely planted as a winter ornamental.
Tatarian Dogwood (Cornus alba)
Native to Siberia and northern Asia, Tatarian dogwood is an extremely cold-hardy shrub growing 8–10 feet tall, valued primarily for its vivid red stems in winter. It produces small white flowers in late spring and white to pale blue berries that attract birds. Many ornamental cultivars have been developed, including ‘Elegantissima’ with white-variegated leaves and ‘Sibirica’ with especially brilliant red stems. It prefers moist soils but adapts broadly.
Yellow-Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’)
A cultivar of the red osier dogwood, this selection replaces the typical red winter stems with striking chartreuse to bright yellow stems, making it a bold counterpoint to red-stemmed dogwoods in winter plantings. It grows 5–8 feet tall and wide, produces the same white flowers and white berries as the species, and thrives in moist soils. It is frequently paired with red-stemmed varieties for dramatic winter color combinations.
Kelsey’s Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Kelseyi’)
A compact, dwarf selection of red osier dogwood, Kelsey’s dogwood grows only 18–24 inches tall, making it an excellent low border or mass planting shrub. It retains the characteristic red winter stems of the species in a much smaller package. The foliage turns reddish-purple in fall, and the plant spreads slowly by suckers to form a tidy groundcover-like mat. It is ideal for small gardens where the full-sized species would be overwhelming.
Cherokee Chief Dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’)
One of the most popular cultivars of the flowering dogwood, ‘Cherokee Chief’ is prized for its deep ruby-red to rose-pink bracts, which are far more intensely colored than most pink-flowered selections. It grows 15–20 feet tall with a pleasing rounded form and produces reliable red fall foliage. The plant also bears red berries that persist into winter. Like all C. florida cultivars, it performs best in partial shade with good air circulation.
Stellar Pink Dogwood (Cornus ×rutgersensis ‘Stellar Pink’)
A hybrid between Cornus florida and Cornus kousa, Stellar Pink was developed at Rutgers University as part of the celebrated Stellar Series. It combines the large, showy bracts of the flowering dogwood with the anthracnose resistance of the Kousa. The clear pink bracts are broad and overlapping, and the tree has an upright to spreading habit reaching 15–20 feet. It is widely regarded as one of the best dogwoods for regions where anthracnose is a concern.
Venus Dogwood (Cornus ×Venus)
A hybrid of Cornus kousa and Cornus nuttallii (Pacific dogwood), Venus produces the largest flowers of any dogwood, with overlapping creamy white bracts that can span up to 6 inches across. The tree grows 15–25 feet with a graceful, spreading habit, and the bracts persist on the tree for an unusually long time in spring. It was also developed at Rutgers University and offers good disease resistance with spectacular flowering impact.
Eddie’s White Wonder (Cornus ×eddiei ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’)
A hybrid between Cornus florida and Cornus nuttallii, this dogwood produces exceptionally large, pure white bracts in spring and grows vigorously to 20–30 feet. It is named after Henry Eddie of Vancouver, who first grew the cross in the 1940s. The tree has shown good resistance to anthracnose and displays excellent fall color in shades of orange-red. It is particularly well-suited to the Pacific Northwest.
Wolf Eyes Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’)
A distinctive cultivar of Kousa dogwood, ‘Wolf Eyes’ features narrow leaves with irregular white margins, creating a refined variegated appearance that is attractive even when not in flower. It grows more slowly and compactly than the species, reaching 8–10 feet, and produces the same white-bracted flowers and red strawberry-like fruits. The foliage often takes on pink to red tones in fall, adding to its year-round appeal.
Milky Way Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Milky Way’)
Selected for its exceptional flowering abundance, ‘Milky Way’ is often described as one of the heaviest-blooming Kousa dogwoods, smothering itself so densely in white bracts that the foliage is almost invisible at peak bloom. It grows 15–20 feet with a rounded habit and inherits the species’ good disease resistance. The prolific red fruits follow in late summer, providing food for birds and additional ornamental interest through autumn.
Samaritan Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa ‘Samaritan’)
A variegated Kousa dogwood cultivar, ‘Samaritan’ is one of the most elegant, with creamy white leaf margins that contrast beautifully with the grayish-green centers. When in flower, the white bracts blend harmoniously with the variegated foliage for a monochromatic yet refined effect. It grows to about 12 feet and is somewhat slower-growing than the species. Gardeners prize it as a specimen plant in shady borders.
Redosier Dogwood ‘Cardinal’ (Cornus sericea ‘Cardinal’)
A selected cultivar of the red osier dogwood, ‘Cardinal’ has been chosen specifically for the exceptional brightness of its winter stem color — a vivid, glowing red that outshines most other selections in the landscape. It grows 6–8 feet tall and thrives in moist conditions. Like all red osier dogwoods, it benefits from periodic hard pruning in early spring to encourage vigorous new growth, which carries the brightest stem coloration.
Ivory Halo Dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Bailhalo’)
A compact, refined cultivar of Tatarian dogwood, ‘Ivory Halo’ grows to just 4–5 feet, making it ideal for smaller gardens. Its most distinctive feature is the clean, creamy white leaf margin that edges each gray-green leaf, creating a luminous, airy effect in the garden. Winter stems are red. It produces white flowers and pale blue berries and is notably more restrained in its suckering habit than the species, making it easier to manage in formal settings.
Midwinter Fire Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’)
This stunning European cultivar is considered one of the finest dogwoods for winter stem interest. The young stems emerge yellow at the base, transition through orange in the middle, and tip out in fiery red, creating a spectacular flame-like gradient that glows brilliantly in winter sunlight. The plant grows 5–6 feet tall and wide, is fully deciduous with purplish fall foliage, and performs best when pruned hard every few years to stimulate the brightest new growth.
Dwarf Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia ‘Golden Shadows’)
A variegated cultivar of the pagoda dogwood, ‘Golden Shadows’ features leaves with broad golden-yellow margins surrounding dark green centers, creating one of the most striking foliage effects of any dogwood. It retains the distinctive layered, horizontal branching of the species while growing slightly more slowly, reaching 10–15 feet. Spring flowers are the typical small white clusters, and the pagoda silhouette makes it an outstanding specimen tree for partially shaded sites.
Cornelian Cherry ‘Aurea’ (Cornus mas ‘Aurea’)
This golden-leaved cultivar of the Cornelian cherry produces soft yellow-green foliage throughout the growing season, brightening shaded garden corners where it is often planted. It retains all the desirable characteristics of the species — very early yellow flowers in late winter, edible red fruits, and adaptable constitution — while offering an additional layer of foliage interest. It grows to about 15 feet and benefits from some afternoon shade to prevent leaf scorch.
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
Not a tree or shrub at all, bunchberry is a diminutive herbaceous groundcover dogwood growing only 3–9 inches tall, making it one of the smallest members of the genus. It produces the classic four-bracted white flowers characteristic of its larger relatives, followed by tight clusters of brilliant red berries in late summer. Native to cool, moist forests of northern North America and Asia, it requires acidic, humus-rich soil and cool temperatures to thrive.
Appalachian Spring Dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Appalachian Spring’)
Developed by the University of Tennessee, this cultivar was selected specifically for its exceptional resistance to dogwood anthracnose, a disease that has decimated wild Cornus florida populations in eastern North America. It produces large white bracts in spring and exhibits the typical excellent fall color of the species. It grows 15–25 feet with a pleasing natural form and is considered one of the most disease-resistant white-bracted selections of flowering dogwood available.
Chinese Dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis)
The Chinese variety of Kousa dogwood is somewhat larger and more vigorous than the typical Japanese form, often reaching 20–30 feet under ideal conditions. It produces an abundance of large white bracts and tends to be more floriferous than the typical species. Cultivars selected from Chinese populations, such as ‘Milky Way’ and ‘China Girl’, have contributed significantly to the ornamental dogwood trade. It adapts well to a range of temperate climates.
Cornus controversa
Known as the giant dogwood or wedding-cake tree, this East Asian species is one of the largest in the genus, capable of growing 40–60 feet tall. Its most remarkable feature is its strongly tiered, horizontal branching, which creates an arresting architectural silhouette resembling a wedding cake. Small white flowers are borne in flat clusters along the branches in early summer, followed by blue-black berries. The cultivar ‘Variegata’, with cream-margined leaves, is among the most prized specimen trees in temperate horticulture.
Swida walteri (Walter’s Dogwood)
A Chinese dogwood species sometimes placed in the genus Swida, Walter’s dogwood is a small to medium-sized tree growing 20–30 feet. It produces clusters of small white flowers in spring followed by round black drupes. The bark is an attractive gray-brown with interesting texture. Though not widely planted in Western horticulture, it is valued in its native range for timber, medicinal uses, and edible seed oil, and represents one of the more distinctive Asian members of the dogwood family.
Cornus officinalis (Japanese Cornelian Cherry)
Similar in appearance to the European Cornelian cherry but native to Japan and Korea, this species blooms very early in late winter with clusters of tiny yellow flowers on bare branches. It grows as a large shrub or small tree reaching 15–20 feet and develops attractive exfoliating bark with age, revealing patches of gray, orange, and brown. The red, oblong fruits are edible and used in traditional East Asian medicine and cuisine. It is somewhat more ornamental than its European counterpart.
Cornus bretschneideri
A Chinese dogwood species that grows as a large shrub or small tree, C. bretschneideri produces flat-topped clusters of white flowers in early summer followed by round black fruits. It is valued in its native range for the oil extracted from its seeds, which has industrial and edible uses. The plant is rarely cultivated outside botanical gardens in the West but represents an interesting member of the genus with good cold hardiness and a tidy, upright form.
Cornus macrophylla (Large-Leaf Dogwood)
Native to the Himalayas, China, and Japan, this is one of the larger-leaved dogwood species, with leaves that can reach 6 inches or more in length. It grows as a large shrub or small tree to about 30 feet and produces broad, flat-topped clusters of small white flowers in summer. The fruits are round and purplish-black. It is occasionally cultivated in mild temperate gardens and arboreta and is notably more heat-tolerant than many other dogwood species.
Cornus hemsleyi
A native of western China, this shrubby dogwood species grows in mountain woodlands and stream margins. It produces typical flat-topped white flower clusters followed by blue-black fruits and displays attractive red and purple fall color. Like many Chinese dogwood species, it is underutilized in Western horticulture but offers good garden potential, particularly for collectors seeking unusual additions to a dogwood collection or woodland garden.
Cornus wilsoniana
Named after the legendary plant collector Ernest Henry Wilson, this Chinese species is a tree growing to about 40 feet. It produces flat clusters of small white flowers followed by round blue-black drupes. The bark is grayish and moderately attractive. Its seed oil has been used traditionally in China for cooking and lamp fuel. It is occasionally planted in specialist collections outside its native range and offers an interesting alternative for gardeners seeking tree-form dogwoods beyond the standard ornamental species.
Cornus paucinervis
A compact, low-growing shrub native to central and western China, C. paucinervis typically grows 3–6 feet tall and is notable for its narrow, willow-like leaves that distinguish it from most other dogwood species. Small white flowers in flat clusters are produced in summer. The plant is occasionally grown in botanical gardens and specialist nurseries and has potential as a fine-textured shrub for woodland gardens, though it remains uncommon in cultivation outside Asia.
Evergreen Dogwood (Cornus capitata)
Native to the Himalayas and China, this is one of the few dogwoods that is evergreen or semi-evergreen in mild climates. It produces large, creamy yellow bracts similar to those of the flowering dogwood, followed by large, red, strawberry-like fruits that are edible. It grows as a large shrub or small tree to about 20–40 feet and is suitable for USDA zones 7–9. It is particularly valued in the mild-winter gardens of the Pacific Coast and the British Isles.
Cornus oblonga
An evergreen dogwood species native to the Himalayas and southwestern China, C. oblonga grows as a large shrub or small tree with leathery, oblong, dark green leaves. White flower clusters are produced in late summer and fall, followed by small, black, oval fruits. It is an unusual member of the genus in its evergreen nature and late flowering season. It is occasionally cultivated in mild maritime climates and is considered hardier than C. capitata in some regions.
Roughleaf Dogwood ‘Sunshine’ (Cornus drummondii ‘Sunshine’)
A variegated selection of the native roughleaf dogwood, ‘Sunshine’ produces leaves with striking yellow margins that brighten through the growing season. It retains the characteristic adaptability and wildlife value of the species — attracting birds with its white berries — while offering enhanced ornamental interest in the garden. It is particularly valuable in hot, drought-prone regions of the central United States, where many other variegated shrubs struggle to perform reliably.
Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Princess’
‘Cherokee Princess’ is one of the most widely planted white-bracted cultivars of flowering dogwood, selected for its very large, rounded, overlapping bracts that provide one of the most showy spring displays of any C. florida selection. It grows 20–25 feet with a broad, spreading canopy and produces abundant red fruits and excellent red-purple fall foliage. It is generally considered a vigorous, reliable cultivar with moderate disease resistance.
Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’
A distinctive variegated cultivar of flowering dogwood, ‘Rainbow’ carries leaves with golden-yellow margins that turn red in fall, while the leaf centers are dark green. The combined display of variegated summer foliage, white spring bracts, and brilliant fall color makes it one of the most multi-season performers in the flowering dogwood group. It grows to about 15 feet and is best sited in partial shade to prevent leaf scorch on the pale margins.
Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’
‘Satomi’ is one of the finest pink-bracted cultivars of Kousa dogwood, producing deep rose-pink to reddish-pink bracts that are more intensely colored than most other pink Kousa selections. It grows to about 15 feet with a graceful, spreading habit and, like all Kousa dogwoods, is notably more resistant to dogwood anthracnose than C. florida. The pink bracts emerge later in spring and persist well into early summer. Fall color is a reliable red to burgundy.
Cornus sericea ‘Baileyi’
Known as Bailey’s dogwood, this cultivar of red osier dogwood grows upright and vigorously to about 8–10 feet, with particularly vivid red stems in winter. It is one of the oldest and most widely grown named selections of the species, valued for its reliable performance in cold climates and moist soils. The white summer flowers, white berries, and red-tinted fall foliage round out its seasonal interest. It is frequently used in mass plantings and native habitat restorations.
Cornus alba ‘Gouchaultii’
A variegated cultivar of Tatarian dogwood, ‘Gouchaultii’ features leaves irregularly margined and mottled with yellow and pink tones that shift throughout the season. Combined with the species’ characteristic red winter stems, it offers multiple seasons of ornamental value. It grows to about 8 feet and is somewhat slower than the straight species. It is best sited in partial shade where the variegation remains attractive without scorching, and it benefits from occasional hard pruning to maintain vigor.
Northern Swamp Dogwood (Cornus purpusii)
A lesser-known North American native dogwood found primarily in moist woodlands and swamp margins of the central and eastern United States, this large shrub grows 6–12 feet tall. It produces clusters of small white flowers in late spring followed by white to pale blue fruits. It is closely related to Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) and similarly spreads by suckers to form thickets. It provides excellent wildlife habitat value and is well-suited to rain gardens and wetland buffers.
Florida Dogwood ‘Weaver’s White’ (Cornus florida ‘Weaver’s White’)
Selected for an unusually late bloom time, ‘Weaver’s White’ extends the flowering dogwood season significantly, producing large white bracts several weeks after most other cultivars have finished. This makes it a valuable addition to landscape collections where sequential bloom is desired. It grows to about 20 feet with a naturally rounded form. The extended season also means the bracts remain on the tree longer, prolonging the ornamental display into early summer.
Cornus stolonifera ‘Isanti’
‘Isanti’ is a compact, restrained cultivar of red osier dogwood developed at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It grows only 4–5 feet tall and wide — roughly half the size of the typical species — making it much easier to incorporate into residential landscapes without aggressive suckering. The bright red winter stems are as showy as those of the standard species, and the plant maintains good moist-soil tolerance. Its compact habit makes it excellent for foundation plantings and mixed shrub borders.
Cornus florida ‘Plena’
An unusual double-bracted cultivar of flowering dogwood, ‘Plena’ produces flowers surrounded by multiple overlapping layers of white bracts rather than the typical four, creating a fuller, more flower-like appearance. It is a historic cultivar, known in cultivation for well over a century. Though not as vigorous as some modern selections, it offers a distinctive and rare ornamental quality that sets it apart from all other dogwoods. It grows to about 15–20 feet in the typical flowering dogwood manner.
Cornus suecica (Dwarf Cornel)
A tiny, herbaceous dogwood native to subarctic and boreal regions of northern Europe, Asia, and North America, the dwarf cornel grows only 2–8 inches tall in cool, peaty, acidic habitats. Like its close relative bunchberry (C. canadensis), it produces small white-bracted flowers and clusters of red berries in late summer. It grows in bogs, heathlands, and tundra communities and is rarely cultivated outside of specialist alpine or bog gardens. It represents the extreme of the dogwood genus — cold, small, and remarkably hardy.