Why the Cloud Nine Flowering Dogwood?
When Cloud Nine Flowering Dogwood opens its profusion of cumulus-cloud-white blossoms each year, it will be the most sensational spring event in your landscape—and probably in your whole neighborhood! Blooming heavily even when very young, this exquisite ornamental tree will wow everybody that sees it, and the show will only get bettereach year. When the glossy red fruits ripen in autumn, it is the songbirds who will be on Cloud Nine, as the berries are a valuable part of their diet. The fruits aren’t palatable to humans, but rest assured you’ll get your own fall treat in the form of long-lasting burgundy-red autumn foliage.
Flowering Dogwood is a shining star of our eastern forests and woodland edges and has been cherished in this country for centuries. Cloud Nine is a special selection of this treasured native that was introduced in the early 1960s. A man named Henry Chase discovered it on his nursery near Huntsville, Alabama and admired it for its impressive and precocious flower production. Over the years, Cloud Nine has shown itself to be not just a prolific bloomer, but an all-around good “doer”—growers’ lingo for plants that perform especially well without a lot of fuss. It has also proven to be one of the most cold-hardy selections around, despite its southern origins.
How to use in the landscape?
The true flowers of a Flowering Dogwood are actually the tiny yellow blooms clustered together in the center of the inflorescence. The four “petals” are actually enlarged bracts, like the red bracts on a poinsettia plant.
Growth Facts
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Mature Height: 20-30' tall
Mature Width: 20-30' wide
Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
Spacing: 25-30' apart
How To Plant
Flowering Dogwoods are vulnerable to a few troublesome pests and diseases, including anthracnose, borers, and powdery mildew. However, proper siting and culture will give your tree a good chance for a long, healthy life. Site your Cloud Nine Dogwood in an area with morning sun and good air circulation, and don’t use overhead sprinklers. Be careful to never gouge the bark, as wounds can create an entry point for pests or disease, and prune out any dead branches and dispose of them—do not compost them. Check out our Homeowner’s Guide to Dogwood Diseases and Care for more details, and please do not hesitate to talk to us directly at grower@bowerandbranch.com about any other questions you have concerning Dogwood care.
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
On top of all the great aspects of the Cloud Nine, they really don’t need a lot of pruning, but if you feel it’s necessary for a trim, please do so after the tree is done flowering in the spring.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
