Dogwood Trees to Plant in Colorado
Dogwood trees are a favorite of Colorado gardeners. They’re beautiful, grow well in the Rocky Mountain climate, and are easy to care for. Here are 6 varieties of Dogwood trees that will thrive in the state:
1. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
This is one of the most common varieties of the Dogwood tree. It has a fine-textured pale pink or white flower that blooms in early spring before the leaves come out, making it eye-catching.
The branches are often twisted and contorted interestingly, giving it a beautiful appearance all year round. It prefers moist soil with plenty of nutrients and grows best in full sun conditions. It can grow up to 40 feet high with a spread of 15 feet wide once mature enough to harvest fruit or lumber.
2. Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
This variety has smaller flowers than other types of Dogwoods but still produces beautiful red berries that birds love eating during winter months when food sources are scarce. Mainly because of cold temperatures outdoors at lower elevations, where this species grows best if there isn’t too much snow cover on ground level for extended periods.
The Gray Dogwood can be used for ornamental landscaping or as a food source for birds when it produces berries during winter.
3. Kousa Dogwood
This variety has thick, glossy leaves that turn orange in fall before dropping off for winter dormancy. It can be trained into an attractive shrub shape or kept as a tree with regular pruning. The fruit is edible and makes excellent jelly!
4. Cornus Phellandra
This dogwood species has beautiful pink flowers that bloom late in the year (November through December). It grows best in moist soil but can tolerate drier conditions if mulched regularly during drought seasons; however, it will not tolerate wet soil at all times, so be sure to water well during dry spells!
5. Red flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
This tree is native to North America and has been used by many Native American tribes for medicinal purposes. It is best known for its striking red flowers that bloom in the springtime. The leaves turn red in the fall, signaling it’s time to harvest them before they drop off.
6. Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
This tree was named after its distinctive pagoda-like growth pattern. It is also native to North America and grows best in cold climates like Colorado. Its leaves are green during the summer but turn bright yellow in the fall when other deciduous trees lose their leaves for winter hibernation.
The pagoda dogwood is a beautiful tree in your yard and can grow up to 25 feet tall. Its leaves are large and heart-shaped, making them easy to identify. It’s an excellent choice for urban and rural landscapes because of its adaptability.
How to Care for a Colorado Dogwood Tree
Dogwood trees are beautiful to look at and easy to care for. Here are some tips on caring for a Colorado dogwood tree.
1. Plant the dogwood tree in an area that gets full sun but not direct sunlight.
2. Water the dogwood tree regularly during the summer, but do not overwater or flood the soil around the tree.
3. Fertilize your dogwood tree with a slow-release fertilizer once every two years during springtime or early summertime.
4. Prune the dogwood tree during late fall or early springtime, but only if necessary.
5. Mulch around the base of your dogwood tree once every year to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Conclusion
Dogwood trees are amazing trees to plant in Colorado. They have beautiful flowers, and you can plant them in many areas of the state. However, they do need a little bit of care to stay healthy.
To care for your dogwood tree, you should water it once weekly, unless it rains. If you want to fertilize your tree, use a general-purpose fertilizer in early spring or fall. If you have an overgrown shrub, you can trim it back once every two years with hedge clippers.
If this read has been helpful, please add a comment below. Remember that you can plant Dogwood trees in Colorado for wildlife habitat because they produce so much fruit and flowers throughout the year; birds love to eat from them and make nests in their branches.