Why plant Grey Dogwood - tree form?
These days we’re bombarded with the news that wildlife habitat is being destroyed all around us, but we CAN do something about it. We can plant native trees! Planting native trees is one of the best things to do for the health of the planet, and Grey Dogwood is a great place to start. This unsung native hauls in songbirds with its shiny white fruits and feeds butterflies and countless other critters that are important to the local ecosystem. “But I don’t have room for a Dogwood,” you say? Well, this one is a compact variety that maxes out at around 10-15 feet tall and wide!
We’ve got a bone to pick with whoever named this tree. Grey Dogwood? Come on. This native plant and the wildlife attracted to it bring color year-round. Dainty Spring Azure butterflies lay their eggs on the creamy flower buds. The stark-white fruits, each stamped with a black dot, look like Cookie Monster eyeballs and haul in songbirds by the droves. The stalks that hold the fruits (known as “pedicels”) are watermelon-red and persist after the fruit has been devoured. Grey Dogwood? This plant needs a marketing makeover!
How to use Grey Dogwood - tree form in the landscape?
While the Grey Dogwood is typically grown as a shrub, this extraordinary specimen is clearly unique! Grafted onto a straight trunk, this tree form version is perfect for around the patio or used as a focal point. The older stems are gray while the younger stems tend to be more tan or reddish brown. Foliage is gray-green in spring, turns darker in summer, and changes to purplish-red in fall. It also showcases some cool white berries! Plant one today!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 3-8
How To Plant Grey Dogwood - tree form
This plant often grows in wet soils in the wild, and you can use it to transform a boring ditch into a wildlife oasis. Regular planting areas around your home will do as well. It’s happy in sun or shade. Do plant it where you can watch the birds flocking to the avian cafeteria you have provided!
How To Water
Water weekly, or better yet, use the Bower & Branch® Water Element to deliver just the right amount of moisture to your tree throughout the growing season.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
The way we grow Grey Dogwood lifts this naturally shrubby plant off the ground. To maintain its tree form, you’ll want to prune off any suckers you find on the trunk or base of the tree.