What Is the Habitat for Dogwood Trees?

Native Dogwood Geography

• The two dogwood trees native to North America used most often for landscaping applications are the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) and the alternate leaf dogwood (Cornus alternifolia), also called a pagoda dogwood. Flowering dogwood is a native tree from central New England west to the Great Lakes and south to the Gulf Coast. Alternate leaf dogwood trees grow naturally from southeastern Canada west to Iowa and Minnesota, but its range does not extend as widely into the Deep South as the flowering dogwood.

Nonnative Dogwood Geography

• Also called a Japanese dogwood, the kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) comes from Korea, China and Japan. The cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas) has a wide distribution in western sections of Asia and in southern and central parts of Europe. The giant dogwood (Cornus controversa), growing to 40 feet but considered large for this genus of trees, is a native plant of the Himalayan Mountains, China and Japan.

USDA Planting Zones for Dogwoods

• Extreme cold-hardiness is not a prevalent trait among the dogwood trees. Few types are suitable for planting in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones colder than zone 5. Some that do survive in a cold habitat include the alternate leaf dogwood, which handles a zone 4 winter. The "Argentea" cultivar grows in zone 3, but is somewhat rare, making it costly. Cornelian cherry dogwood also grows in zone 4. Flowering dogwood, giant dogwood and kousa dogwood are safe choices for USDA zone 5, with all three growing into warmer regions such as zones 8 and 9.

Dogwood Growing Conditions

• Pagoda dogwood will grow in a full sun habitat, but only if you locate it where the ground is not hot and dry, especially in summer. Otherwise, locate it where it receives partial shade, preferably in acidic soil. Flowering dogwood likes similar conditions, but it does flower best when in full sun. Flowering dogwood is not at all tolerant of exposure to salt; keep it away from where road salt can affect it in winter. Partial shade to full sun habitats suit the cornelian cherry dogwood. Kousa dogwood does well in a habitat in sun or some shade, especially if the soil is sandy. The giant dogwood thrives in acidic soil in full sunlight or a bit of shade.