Chinese Dogwood

With it’s bluish-green leaves, profuse and showy, large, white or pink flowers in May, followed by abundant bright red berries and brick-red fall color, Chinese Dogwood is not surprisingly very popular with landscapers. Many people, however, don’t realize that the red berries which are bright orange on the inside, are not only edible, but are an absolutely delicious tropical taste treat with strong overtones of mango and apricot! Best picked when bright red and squishy, Chinese Dogwood fruit is eaten fresh by tearing open the outer skin and sucking out the delicious orange goo – taking care to leave behind or spit out the several decent sized seeds, which are not edible. The fruits store well in the freezer and can also be temporarily stored in the fridge for a few days.
A relatively low maintenance tree, Chinese Dogwood, does not require pruning, however due to it’s multi-stemmed, strongly horizontal habit of growth and low canopy (typically about 3 feet from the ground), Chinese Dogwoods tend to grow much like a shrub unless shaped. If shaping is desired, pruning should be done after flowering and fruiting to avoid removing any of the current season’s crop. If left to themselves (and depending on variety) these trees are capable of growing 20 feet tall and wide at a medium rate, and are very suitable for planting under power lines.
Chinese Dogwoods are disease-resistant and easy to grow. They do best in full sun to partial shade, and in average to evenly moist conditions – but will not tolerate standing water, and must have good drainage. For optimum growth, the soil should be rich in organic matter, well fertilized and mulched. The soil needs to be on the acidic side (around 5.5 ph) as these trees are subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves in alkaline soils.
Hardy to -20°F (USDA zone 5).

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