How to Water a Dogwood Tree

Knowing how to water a dogwood tree can help the tree establish itself well. In fact dogwood trees are pretty drought tolerant. However if a tree is young, you will still need to help it out by watering it adequately.

There are many varieties of dogwoods, such as Kousa, Cornelian cherry, and flowering dogwood. In fact the flowering dogwood is the state tree for Missouri and Virginia and blooms with beautiful white, pink, and rose blossoms!

Uses: Dogwoods are perfect for landscaping, especially near utility lines, patios, and larger buildings because of their size. Moreover you can use the bark for medicinal purposes. The fruit of the Cornelian cherry dogwood is also very delicious in jams and is greatly underused in America.
Size/Shape: With variations depending on the dogwood, the flowering dogwood at maturity has a height of 25′ and a spread of around 25′.
Color: In the spring, these trees are known for their white, pink, red flowers. However in the fall, the leaves turn a beautiful red-purple. When the bright red fruits are ripe, songbirds come to enjoy them.
Hardiness Zones: 5-9 (flowering dogwood)
Bloom Period: blooms in April–May.
Cultivation: With partial sun (it prefers dappled shade) and proper pruning, watering, and mulching maintenance these trees can grow 13–24″ per year. You can also add a beneficial fungi to its soil called mycorrhizal fungi which will help grow its roots by 20 times and prevent some root diseases.
Soil Preference: The dogwood tree can grow in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. However it does prefer moist conditions.
Wildlife Value: Many birds and various animals such as foxes, squirrels, rabbits, and beavers eat the delicious fruit. Deer and rabbits also browse the foliage and twigs.

How to Water a Dogwood Tree

When you just plant the dogwood, be sure that it has sufficient water. Therefore, if there isn’t rain, do soak the tree roots by watering.
If you water once a week to a depth of 6 inches, this will enable healthy growth.
During the winter be careful not to overwater but also make sure the tree isn’t damaged by lack of water.
After the dogwood tree is established, you only have to water when there is a severe drought. Although dogwood trees are drought tolerant, they still appreciate water in the summer heat.

Knowing how to water a dogwood tree is an important step in growing these beautiful trees.

You can read more in our growing guide about not only how to water, but also how to prune your tree. If you would like to discover other trees, explore our tree catalog or shop page.

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