Dogwood trees are a beloved and iconic ornamental tree in many landscapes. Known for their showy spring flowers, bright fall color, and attractive branching structure, dogwoods add charm and interest to yards and gardens year-round.
When incorporating dogwood trees into your landscape design, proper spacing is important to allow them to reach their mature size and form without being crowded. This article provides a complete guide on recommended dogwood tree spacing to promote healthy growth.
Typical Spacing Guidelines for Dogwood Trees
Most popular dogwood tree species like flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), and Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas) reach a mature height of 15-30 feet with a similar spread.
To accommodate their growth habit, experts recommend spacing dogwood trees around 20 feet apart when planting in an open landscape This gives them adequate room to spread and develop their natural rounded canopy without infringing on each other
Planting dogwoods 20 feet on-center creates a nice visual separation between each specimen. Closer spacing of 10-15 feet can work but may result in crowding as the trees mature.
Factors Affecting Dogwood Spacing
While 20 feet is the standard recommended spacing, the optimal distance for dogwood trees can vary slightly based on:
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Mature Size: Smaller cultivars may only need 15 feet, while larger kousa varieties may require 25 feet or more. Check expected mature height and width.
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Pruning Practices: Intentionally pruning dogwoods to maintain a tighter shape allows closer spacing if desired, but still allow at least 10-15 feet.
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Design Layout: Planting in offset rows or triangular patterns permits slightly closer spacing than linear rows. But avoid overcrowding.
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Growing Conditions: Dogwoods planted in prime conditions with rich soil and proper care can thrive with tighter spacing. Those in poorer soils will likely need more room.
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Privacy Uses: Planting dogwoods tightly as a hedge or screen allows only 5-6 feet between trees in a single row, as they’ll eventually grow together.
Spacing for Other Dogwood Species
The above guidelines refer to the common ornamental landscape dogwoods. Other species have different size ranges:
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Cornelian cherry dogwood: 15-20 feet apart
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Red osier dogwood: 5 feet apart, or closer for screens
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Silky dogwood: 5-10 feet apart
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Pagoda dogwood: 10-15 feet apart
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Gray dogwood: 10 feet apart
Regardless of variety, allow enough space for air circulation, light penetration, and mature growth without being crowded.
Design Tips for Planting Dogwood Trees
In addition to proper tree spacing, consider these design tips for an appealing layout:
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Use offset or staggered rows rather than linear planting for a natural look.
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Plant dogwoods in small groups of 3-5 rather than as lone specimens for greater impact.
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Surround with lower-growing plants like azaleas, ferns, and hostas.
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Repeat groupings of the same variety or alternate different dogwood species.
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Combine varieties with different bloom times for extended spring color.
With the right spacing and creative design, dogwood trees can enhance any landscape with multi-season beauty! Monitor growth over time and thin or transplant any trees that become too crowded.
Adjusting Dogwood Tree Spacing in the Landscape Over Time
Proper tree spacing is crucial when initially planting dogwoods. But as they grow over the years, you may need to make adjustments to their placement to prevent overcrowding issues.
Signs that dogwood tree spacing has become too tight include:
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Branches rubbing together or crossing between trees
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Canopies that merge together with little light penetration to lower branches
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Reduced vigor, stunted growth, and lack of flowers
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Increased disease and pest problems due to lack of air circulation
To address tight spacing, consider:
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Selectively removing some dogwood trees to open up the area
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Pruning branches regularly to contain size and promote air flow
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Transplanting dogwoods to a new location further apart
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Switching to a single specimen dogwood tree rather than grouped plantings
With attentive spacing management, dogwood trees can provide enduring beauty in the garden for many years to come.
Key Takeaways on Dogwood Tree Spacing
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Space standard dogwood trees about 20 feet apart at planting for best growth.
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Allow 15 feet for dwarf varieties and 25+ feet for larger species.
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Tighter spacing of 10-15 feet is possible with pruning or design layout.
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Give other dogwood species like Cornelian cherry 10-20 feet spacing.
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Adjust spacing over time if trees become crowded.
Properly spacing dogwood trees allows them the room they need to thrive while creating an appealing landscape aesthetic. Consider the expected mature size, site conditions, and design intent when deciding on planting distances. With adequate spacing, dogwoods will gracefully adorn gardens for years of beauty.
How to Plant a Dogwood Tree: Materials Needed
- Another helper to hold the tree vertically when you plant (will need two sets of hands)
- A bucket/bin to soak the tree roots in water if the tree is bare root.
- A shovel or spade for digging
- Tree guards for protecting against animal damage
- 1-2 Gallons of Water
- When the dogwood tree arrives, it will come either in a container or bare root (without the soil it was in). Take it out of the box it was packaged in and place your tree in a cool (not freezing) place out of the sun, e.g. your garage.
- If the tree is bare root and has been in transport for more than 4 days, be sure to soak immediately in water for 6-24 hours and plant immediately after.
- If the tree is bare root and you need to wait for more that a week to plant, be sure to keep the roots wet by spraying with water. Keep the roots in the plastic wrap so that they stay moist and healthy. You can keep the trees in a cool shaded basement or garage. Then soak in water for 6-24 hours and plant afterwards.
You should prepare the planting area before planting the tree.
- Dogwoods do well in soils with a pH of about 5.5 to 7. They do prefer moist, well-drained soil therefore soil that is soggy and doesn’t drain well will cause damage.
- Before planting, you can test the soil for acidity and drainage (you can use inexpensive DIY methods). Most soils fall in the 6.0-7.0 pH range.
- Although optional, feel free to add organic matter such as compost to your soil to increase nutrients. Or add lime to balance the acidity if needed.
- Till the soil so that the nutrients become integrated into the soil and the soil becomes less compact so that the roots grow well.
- You want the top of the root ball to be slightly above ground when you plant so that there is a small mound above ground around the tree.
- For a tree in a container, dig a hole that is about two times the width of the container it came in so the roots have some space to extend into. The depth of the hole should be about 1/4 less than the depth of the container since you want the top of the root ball to above ground level.
- In the case of bare root trees, dig a hole that is also two times the width of the root ball/the circumference of the roots. The depth can be about the same as the root ball.
- If it is in a container, gently take out the tree from the container and place in the middle of the hole. Make sure that when you place, the root ball is slightly above ground.
- If bare root, first put some soil in a mound in the hole so that when you place the tree down, the roots slope down and fan out and it is above ground. Trim the roots as needed so that they do not twist. This will enable the tree to spread its roots further.
- If you are planting from a container, simply backfill the soil to ground level.
- If bare root, holding the tree vertically, place the nutrient rich topsoil you dug out back near the roots. Once half the soil is placed around the tree, carefully press the soil down with your feet to destroy air pockets. DO NOT put fertilizer or compost into the hole where the roots are as this will damage the tree. Put the rest of the soil on top and press down repeatedly with your foot so no roots are uncovered. There should be a small mound above ground for the tree.
- If the dogwood tree is on a slope or in a location with a water shortage, then make a berm around the tree. Create a 2’ rim of soil around the tree above ground level to keep the water close.
- Cover the top of the soil near the tree with mulch so that the moisture stays in the soil. Moreover weeds are less likely to grow. However, the mulch should not touch the bark of the tree but should be about 2′ away from it.
- Immediately after planting, water the tree with about 1-2 gallons of water. If the soil goes down, add more soil.
- For the first year, water about one to two times a week with 1-2 gallons of water. After the tree is established, you can water yourself only when the tree becomes stressed and experiences drought.
- In the winter, make sure that the tree is also watered enough to prevent any damage from desiccation. This is damage when the amount of moisture lost by the leaves) exceeds the amount of water taken in by the roots.
- Immediately after planting the tree, place a tree guard around the trunk. This protects the dogwood tree from rabbits and rodents who will eat the bark and kill your tree. The tree guards should let air flow in. Mouse guards which rap around the bark are the best protectors. However we don’t recommended using them in the summer since insects can create habitats between the mouse guard and the bark.
- Dogwoods can be susceptible to damage by the cold and strong winds. If you plant in a location with a wind tunnel, especially in the winter, be sure to have wind barriers around it like hedges or evergreen trees.
How to Grow a Dogwood Tree After Planting
After you have mastered how to plant a dogwood tree, you will need to take care of it. Fortunately, the dogwood tree is pretty easy to grow. Here are some basic information on watering and pruning a dogwood tree.
How to Plant and Care For Your Dogwood Tree
FAQ
How close can I plant dogwood trees to each other?
Plant Dogwoods 10-15 feet from other trees to reduce competition and promote growth.Oct 10, 2024
What is the hidden downside to planting a dogwood tree in your yard?
Dogwoods are especially prone to pests when their health is already suffering from leaf spot, twig blight, canker, or a fatal ailment such as dogwood anthracnose. Vulnerabilities like these make dogwoods hard to keep alive, plus they’re fussy about sunlight and water.
What month is best to plant a dogwood tree?
The best time to plant a bare-root dogwood sapling is in spring before tree growth starts. They can also be planted in the autumn but it should be done 4–6 weeks before the ground freezes.
Where is the best spot to plant a dogwood tree?
Ideally, and especially in the Southern U.S., Dogwood trees prefer growing and perform their best in locations that provide shade or filtered sunlight during the afternoon hours. Morning sun with afternoon shade or filtered sun is perfect.