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When Does the Missouri Dogwood Bloom?

Spring in the Ozark Mountains brings tourists from miles away to see the Missouri dogwood (Cornus florida) in bloom. Following on the heels of eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) or even overlapping those brilliant pink blooms, flowering dogwood floods the post-winter mountainsides with white. While peak bloom varies from year to year depending on weather, Missourians expect flowering dogwood in bloom from April into May.

  1. Habitat

    • Sometimes called Missouri dogwood because of the acclaimed Ozarks display, flowering dogwood is native to the eastern United States from Maine to northern Florida, extending west to Missouri and Texas. Though common in many areas, this beautiful understory tree is endangered in the native woodlands of Maine and at risk in New York and Vermont. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, flowering dogwood thrives in rich, well-drained, acidic soils on shady wooded slopes where they reach 15 to 30 feet in height and in spread. The forest environment perfectly protects the dogwood's shallow extended root system, keeping it consistently cool, moist and safe from rapidly changing soil temperatures.

    Bloom

    • Flowering dogwood's bloom season begins in March in southern states and extends into June in the north. Like the redbud, it blooms before its leaves appear in spring, an attribute that adds significantly to the impact of its floral show. The true flowers of the dogwood are actually tiny, four-petal blooms of yellowish-green that cluster together in groups of 25 to 30. The four white petal-like structures that surround these flowers are actually specialized leaves called bracts, which provide protection and attract pollinating insects. Once the bracts begin to turn from green to white (or sometimes pink), peak bloom follows in about two weeks and lasts two to four weeks longer.

    Features

    • In addition to its spring display, the flowering dogwood offers a number of other features that help make it an important and common ornamental specimen in landscaping. Usually wider than they are tall, flowering dogwood's branches grow in a broad horizontal pattern resulting in a very graceful, spreading silhouette. The reddish-gray twigs of new growth complement dark gray bark that matures with a scale-like pattern reminiscent of alligator skin. In late summer, clusters of scarlet, egg-shaped fruit appear and persist into early winter. Striking autumn foliage carries shades of scarlet, purple and reddish-brown.

    Cultivars

    • Due to its popularity, many cultivated varieties of flowering dogwood have been developed. Among them, early-flowering "Cherokee Princess" (Cornus florida "Cherokee Princess") blooms heavily with extra-large white bracts. ("Cherokee Chief" (Cornus florida "Cherokee Chief"), honored with the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, produces deep reddish-pink bracts, new foliage tinged with red, colorful fruit and exceptional fall color. "Cherokee Daybreak" (Cornus florida "Cherokee Daybreak"), another RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, displays white bracts and variegated foliage. Its green leaves, edged with creamy white margins, take on pink color in autumn. Outstanding additions to the landscape, these three outstanding cultivars are all suitable for USDA zones 5 through 9.

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