Plant of the Week: Dogwood Tree

While this March was  lacking in color  due to the  delay in arrival of Spring, we are now  seeing an abundance of color in April, especially with all of the flowering trees blooming at the same time. Normally, at this point in spring, the cherry blossoms would have shed their flowers, and dogwoods would now be at their peak. 

This weeks Plant of the Week, the Flowering dogwood, is a  smaller ornamental tree that typically grows to a height of 35 to 40 feet (10 to 12 m). This low-branched tree produces creamy-white flowers with 4 petals each in early spring. It is a deciduous tree, meaning it looses its leaves in the fall. Dogwoods thrive in forested, shady areas under other hardwoods and pines. If your landscape boarders a wooded area, consider the dogwood to provide year round interest and color, with the flowers in the spring, bright red/purple leaves and fruit, in the fall, and black or brown alligator-skin like bark in the winter.