Gray Dogwood
How to Grow Gray Dogwood
Gray dogwood grows in two forms--as a shrub or as an ornamental tree with multi-trunks. It is attractive year-round and is one of the strongest forms of dogwood, doing well in USDA hardiness zones 5-8. It is very popular in northeastern regions where the colder climate rules out many types of shrubs and trees.
The shrub, gray dogwood, produces many suckers, making the plant spread quickly. While this is great if you want to control erosion, it is not so great if you do not like to prune. That’s because to keep gray dogwood under control, it is going to need to be pruned back consistently. A carefully pruned gray dogwood shrub may grow back to reach a height and length of fifteen feet though the normal would be six feet.
Gray dogwood trees do not grow suckers from the base like the shrubs, so you don‘t have to deal with the same spreading tendency. However, they may have one or several trunks. Gray dogwood is also quite adaptable--it will grow well in full sun to partial shade to full shade, although it prefers full to partial sun. The plant grows equally well in all types of soil.
If you are going to plant gray dogwood, use seedlings as they will have the best chance of succeeding. Dig a hole for the plant that is large enough to hold the root system, which will spread quickly. You should place the plant in the hole with at least two inches of wood showing. You can plant new hardwood cuttings without roots as well.
If planting on a hillside or embankment, you should grade the area before starting the planting. Sites should also have current vegetation removed. If you cannot manage to do this for the entire site, clear at least a two by two foot area where you are planting each seedling or cutting. Make sure to fertilize each hole and to water well after planting.
Overall, the dogwood family has very few problems with pests or diseases and gray dogwood is no exception. The leaves are grayish-green to green and the plant has white blossoms in the spring. In late summer/early fall, this dogwood bears its fruits, which are also white. They don’t last long as birds and squirrels are quick to devour them. In fact, many gardeners plant gray dogwood especially to attract wildlife to their yards.
One of the things that appeals to people about gray dogwood is that while the shrub/tree is not showy overall, the fruit grows on red stalks and the twigs, which can be dark to purplish red, stay that way for the early winter making a striking contrast to the white snow. The gray dogwood gets its name from the color of its trunk, which starts out as a reddish-brown with young trees and changes to gray as the tree gets older.
Many people plant this dogwood shrub on embankments to stop erosion or use it to make hedges or to attract birds and other wildlife to their backyards. Gray dogwood trees are great for entranceways, borders or as that one ornamental tree you need to perfect the backyard. If you are one of those people who just doesn’t seem to have a green thumb, the hardiness of the gray dogwood is a definite plus.
You can obtain gray dogwood seedlings at just about any garden store. Spring planting is ideal as seedlings planted in the fall have a higher failure rate. If you are one of those people who just love dogwoods, you will be very pleased with this species.