Scientific name: Cornus florida f. rubra
Family: CORNACEAE
Common names: “Red flowering dogwood”
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub or small tree
Conditions:
Zone: 5-8
Light: Full sun – semi-shade, don’t remove lower branches in full sun, tends to sunburn
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Acidic, fertile humus soils
Moisture: Moist well drained, requires even moisture all summer
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 20′ H & W
Leaf and Stem shape: Ovate leaves and red and purple autumn colour
Flower: Four notched, deep rose-red bracts surrounding small flowers in late spring
Pruning: Minimal
Maintenance: Low, but difficult to keep healthy
Landscape use: Informal, courtyard, roadside planting, patio and container plant
Propagate: By cuttings and grafting
Pests & Disease: Dogwood anthracnose and powdery mildew
*Not recommended to plant as is very susceptible to disease
Comments: Nice fall colour, tends to have thin bark so it requires more shade and moisture than the native dogwood
