I've been working in my yard alot lately and yesterday bought

3 of the pink flowering dogwoods. I didn't realize until I got home

that they say they need limited sunlight exposure. Does anyone

have any experience with these. Where I originally planned to put

them is direct sunlight all day everyday basically. Any thoughts

or help would be appreciated.

I'm no expert but I've seen them in direct sun and they seem to do fine, neighbors have plenty and most are in the sun all day.

Dogwoods are naturally fairly slow growers. When you find them out in the woods, they are generally an under-canopy growers as well - meaning there are bigger and taller trees like oaks, walnuts, poplars, sycamores and ash growing up above them. They prefer somewhat moist soil conditions (but NOT wet), so somewhat shaded areas that don't have the sun working to heat up the ground and evaporate all the moisture from the soil are ideal. If you want to see them do their best in a yard, you're probably best off to try to place them close to the house in such a way that they find themselves in the house's shadow for a decent portion of the day. If you already have a taller tree somewhere in the yard, it wouldn't be a bad idea to plant a dogwood in decent proximity to the shadow of that tree's canopy as well.

 

Absolutely direct sun is not going to be ideal, but I don't think it should necessarily kill your trees either. You just may end up seeing slower growth than you would see otherwise.

I've had a little experience with the Dogwood tree. The Dogwoods are versatile trees that do well in full sun and moist soil or shady areas.

The trick is to keep them moist just keep mulch around it but don't let the mulch touch the bark of the tree.

Thanks all; I was wanting to put them along my driveway.

The soil seems to be really good but direct sunlight was the big

factor. I might try one of them along the driveway and put the

other 2 elsewhere to see how it goes.

Not sure how long it took the property owner to get these grown up that full, but I always look forward to when I drive by this place in Nelson County in the springtime. Not much shade for these trees.

Not sure how long it took the property owner to get these grown up that full, but I always look forward to when I drive by this place in Nelson County in the springtime. Not much shade for these trees.

Can't enlarge the pic but those don't look like dogwoods at all.

Kinda look like a flowering cherry tree maybe?

Kinda look like a flowering cherry tree maybe?

 

Looking on my phone, so I'm not sure either, but they very well may be Bradford Pears also. They're covered in white flowers this time of year as well. They're so common and so frequently used in landscaping that the state is working on categorizing them ad an invasive species.

Kinda look like a flowering cherry tree maybe?

 

Or aristocrat pears.

I don't know. I've been up close to them and they sure look like Dogwoods to me. I'm not an expert arborist, however, so I'll allow for the fact that I could be wrong.

I'm thinking of putting these somewhere else on my property and

doing the driveway in Bradford Pears just thinking they will be easier

to maintain.

I'm thinking of putting these somewhere else on my property and

doing the driveway in Bradford Pears just thinking they will be easier

to maintain.

 

For what it's worth, Bradford Pears do have (inedible) fruit that they drop...so that is a degree of maintenance that you're not going to have present with the dogwoods.

Good point I didn't realize the level of opinion I get on these trees.

Before I put this on here I've asked several different people for their

opinion and I've not gotten the same answer twice as far as what's best

to buy.

I've never planted dogwoods, but have planted Bradford and Cleveland Pears. They're hardy, and the blooms are awesome. They need little to no pruning usually. Beautiful canopy, not too tall but once they top out, they can get brittle. Had a couple succumb to high winds