small tree
Flowering dogwood
Cornus florida
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 5–9, Flowering dogwood is a deciduous small tree. Expect 15–25 ft of height and 15–25 ft of spread; our lists space it 18 ft apart. It does best in part sun to part shade with average water. Expect white flowers in April to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. It is native to the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, the Midwest and Texas and the South-Central states. Deer do eat it, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Cornus florida
- Plant type
- Small tree, deciduous
- Hardiness zones
- 5 to 9
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Needs well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter; mulch the roots.
- Mature size
- 15–25 ft tall × 15–25 ft wide
- Spacing
- 18 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Apr–May · white
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor
- Styles
- natural, classic, cottage
- Deer resistance
- Low: deer eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; no known toxic compounds.
- Native to
- Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida/Gulf, Midwest and South-Central
- Pot size and price
- 7-gallon pot, typically $70–$130 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Prune only to remove dead or crossing branches, after flowering.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Flowering dogwood, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Arrowwood viburnum 'Blue Muffin'Viburnum dentatum 'Christom'shrub · zones 3–8
- Barren strawberryWaldsteinia fragarioidesgroundcover · zones 4–7
- Bee balmMonarda didymaperennial · zones 4–9
- Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'perennial · zones 4–9
- Blazing starLiatris spicataperennial · zones 3–8
- Creeping phloxPhlox subulatagroundcover · zones 3–9
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Flowering dogwood suits.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants