Another Perfect Plant: Capturing The Magic of Wild Spring Dogwoods
At Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, Cornus x rutgersensis ‘Celestial’ provides a bright but subdued counterpoint to the vivid oranges of Dale Chihuly’s art and Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’.
When every day feels too similar to the last, phenology (the study of seasonal natural phenomena) is a reliable and enduring way to mark the passage of time.
Nearly two months into Washington’s stay-home order, I have been finding comfort and inspiration in observing daily changes in my immediate landscape, both in the garden and local walking routes.
One of my absolute favorite spring “events” is the flowering of dogwood trees. When I see a group of white-flowering dogwoods I am brought back to a long spring drive through Gifford Pinchot National Forest as a child, passing drifts of our delicate native dogwood, Cornus nuttallii, along the forest edge, its creamy bracts glowing in the warm light of dusk. It feels especially important these days to savor the memories and emotional reprieve that plants can bring.
Before I knew better, I used to dream of gardens enlivened with swaths of native dogwood. Unfortunately, our native C. nuttallii are highly susceptible to anthracnose, a fungal disease which causes leaf spotting and cankers on branches and stems that inhibit the transport of water and nutrients, causing the eventual death of the tree. East-coast native C. florida also suffers from this disease.
Thankfully, there are a number of beautiful dogwood cultivars that are bred for disease-resistance. At Land Morphology, we recommend a number of vigorous selections:
Cornus x ‘Venus’ (Cornus ‘KN30-8’) is a cross between Cornus kousa 'Chinensis' x Cornus nuttalii Goldspot' x Cornus kousa 'Rosea’. Venus dogwood matures to about 25’ tall and nearly as wide. Venus dogwood is known for its very wide, creamy bracts (not petals, as many think; dogwood flowers are actually tiny and grouped at the center of the bracts).
Cornus x elwinortonii ‘Starlight’ (Cornus 'KN4-43') is a cross between C. nutallii and C. kousa and gains the disease resistance and upright form of the latter. Starlight dogwood has a more elongated habit than Venus and gets up to 30’ tall. Its leaves turn vivid-red in fall.
Cornus x rutgersensis ‘Celestial’ (Cornus ‘Rutdan’) is a cross between C. kousa and Eastern US native C. florida. Its flowers come out in spring and have white bracts that tinge pink over time. Celestial dogwood is resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew, another scourge of the Pacific Northwest. Celestial dogwood has an upright, rounded habit and grows to about 20’ tall and wide.
Cornus ‘Miss Satomi’ is a selection of C. kousa that produces pink, long-lasting flowers in June. ‘Miss Satomi’ slowly grows to about 20’ tall and wide and develops beautiful horizontal branching with age.
Dogwoods trees do best in full sun to light shade, and well-drained soil with regular watering during the summer. They make excellent specimen trees for a small garden, but if you’re blessed with a large property, consider a large grouping for an impactful spring event!
What phenological events do you look forward to every spring?
Land Morphology principal Richard Hartlage developed the plant palette and planting design for Chihuly Garden and Glass. He continues to consult with staff gardeners.
For more images, visit our site’s Chihuly Garden and Glass page.
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