What is dogwood used for and what habitat does it grow in?

Answer 1

Ornamental Tree...not too large (up to about 30' tall), pretty spring flowering. See a lot in wooded areas, lawns and institutions in New England.....good sturdy trees and hold leaves thru summer..good shade....

Answer 2

There are a number of plants that are called dogwood. The best-known to most people is the flowering dogwood, which is a small tree. It tends to grow in acidic, well-drained soil, in areas with plenty of sunlight. The wood was once used for knife handles and the shuttles of looms; now, the tree is primary ornamental.

Answer 3

The Dogwood is a relatively small tree that makes a good ornamental tree. You find the Dogwood in wooded areas.

Answer 4

Dogwoods are an ornamental tree (In fact it is also our state flower..North Carolina) grown for the flowers and foliage.
I love dogwoods and they are hardy trees and grow in most any environment.

Answer 5

Where I live, suburb of Washington, D.C. ,they are used as decorative trees. They are the state flower of Maryland. Rarely does the trunk of the tree get large enough to be useful for anything else.

Answer 6

It grows in North Carolina, and the blossom is the state flower. Likes shady and acid soil I think.

I think you can make a jelly from the berries too.

Answer 7

I have some in my backyard- its hardy through hot summers and cold winters. No idea what its used for!

Answer 8

flowering dogwood is a wonderful and beeautiful tree.i have a few variegated dogwood shrubs that have red stems that look great against the snow of winter.

this should answer your ????

Flowering Dogwood1
Edward F. Gilman and Kathleen C. Ruppert2
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is native to the eastern half of the United States, including north Florida and portions of central Florida. The state tree of Virginia, flowering dogwood grows 20 to 35-feet-tall and spreads 20 to 25-feet. Trees grown in the sun grow slower, branch more, and are more compact than shade-grown trees. Branches on trees grown in the shade or partial shade appear to form horizontal layers of foliage making dogwood a good candidate for pruning into a specimen. Do this by removing some of the small and medium sized branches from the trunk so major branches have room to develop. Remove some of the small, secondary branches from along the major branches to allow light to penetrate the crown. This will help show off the branch structure of the tree. Dogwood can be trained with one central trunk or as a picturesque multi-trunked tree. Be sure to prune after flowering, but before next years flower buds form in July, to preserve next years flower display.

The showy white bracts (modified leaves surrounding the group of small yellow flowers) add brilliance to both native woodlands and urban landscapes for about two weeks in early spring. Cultivars with pink or red bracts grow poorly in Florida except for some cooler regions in the panhandle.

Flowering dogwoods also add fall color to the Florida landscape. The fall color depends on site and seed source but on most sun grown plants will be red to maroon. The berries are near ¼ inch in diameter and are produced in clusters of 2 to 16. The berry contains one large seed which is the primary means of propagation. The bright red fruit is produced in abundance but is often eaten by birds.


USES
Dogwoods can soften the vertical lines of a small home or provide a background for other plants such as azaleas. Branches on the lower half of the crown grow horizontally, those in the upper half are more upright. In time, this can lend a strikingly horizontal impact to the landscape, particularly if some branches are thinned to open up the crown.
Flowering dogwood is an understory tree in nature. This means they are usually associated with and protected by larger trees. It is no surprise the dogwood's primary use in the landscape is on the edge of wooded areas or in groups which provide mutual shading. Dogwood is a standard tree in many gardens where it is used to shade the patio, to add spring or fall color in a shrub border or as a specimen in the lawn or groundcover bed. The tree is not suited for parking lot planting but can be grown in a wide street median, if provided with less than full-day sun and irrigation.


ESTABLISHMENT AND CARE
Dogwoods grow best in well drained soils with a slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.0-6.5). They are sensitive to high or rapidly changing soil temperatures. Woodland soil temperatures rise and fall slowly and dogwoods grow best in this environment.
Flowering dogwoods can be grown in sun or shade but shaded trees will be less dense, grow more quickly and taller, and have poor flowering and fall color. They prefer part shade (preferably in the afternoon) in the southern end of their range. Many nurseries grow the trees in full sun, but they are irrigated regularly, if not daily. Flowering dogwood prefers a deep, rich, well-drained, sandy or loam soil with some organic matter and has a moderately long life (up to 40 years on a good site). It is not recommended in areas with heavy clay or wet soils unless it is grown on a raised bed to keep roots away from wet soil.

Bare root or balled and burlapped trees should be transplanted during the dormant season. Container grown trees can be transplanted anytime of the year if they are irrigated regularly after planting. Special techniques are required to move dogwoods from the wild. Greater success is common with smaller trees (trunk diameter less than 1 inch). The tree should be root pruned, then irrigated regularly several months before it is moved. Balled and burlapped trees are easier to establish in Florida than bare root trees.

Trees should be planted in a hole as deep as the rootball, no deeper. In compacted or poorly-drained soil, the hole should be three times the width of the rootball, and the planting hole should be only two-thirds the depth of the root ball. Mound soil to cover the sides of the root ball and gently taper the side of the mound down to the existing soil grade. Never place any soil over the rootball. Create a 3-inch deep circle of mulch about 2 feet in diameter for each inch of trunk diameter. Increase the size of the mulched area as the tree grows. This technique will establish a tree quickly by eliminating competition from turf and other plants. Pull mulch 1 to 2 inches away from the trunk to prevent moisture from promoting bark decay. The tree should be watered thoroughly after transplanting to settle soil around the roots.

Dogwoods are not tolerant of extended drought periods. This is especially true during the first year after planting. The first few weeks after planting apply small amounts of water to the root ball every day. Ask the nursery operator how much was applied and apply this amount, or slightly more. Plants installed during the cooler months may need less frequent irrigation, depending on the weather. One week after planting, gently dig a small hole just outside of the root ball to check soil moisture. Squeeze some soil in the palm of your hand. If water drips out between your fingers, you are watering too much. If the soil crumbles and falls out of your hand as you open your fingers, you are watering too little. Beginning about one month after planting, cut irrigation to twice each week for about one year. This will ensure that the tree becomes well established. Establishment takes about 6 to 12 months for each inch of trunk diameter. Larger trees will benefit from irrigation during the second year after planting. Trees in partial or deep shade need irrigation after this establishment period only in times of extended drought. Those in full sun will do best with regular irrigation all during the life of the tree.

Over-fertilization can injure the young dogwood. If you wish to fertilize within a year after planting, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer to the top of the root ball. Fertilizer can be applied directly on top of the mulch. There is no need to place it below the mulch because it quickly moves downwards with water. Most established trees growing in landscapes where the lawn, ground covers, and shrubs are fertilized do not need additional fertilizer. Their root systems extend throughout the lawn and landscape and receive nutrients when these areas are fertilized.