Beyond its prolific bloom in the spring, this evergreen tree is beautiful year-round.
Flowering dogwood trees are hallmarks of Southern landscaping.
One of our favorites is the Empress of China dogwood.
Credit: Courtesy of the Southern Living Plant Collection
The dazzling flowers turn into translucent ruby, strawberry-like fruits that songbirds enjoy eating.
Empress of China is available in theSouthern Living Plant Collection.
The best times to plant the tree are spring or fall.
Its evergreen foliage creates privacy and shade near patios and porches.
Thislow-maintenance treedoesn’t require pruning and needs to be fertilized only once a year in early spring.
To plant, dig a hole three times the width of the tree’s original pot.
Light
Chinese evergreen dogwoods prefer more sunlight than some other dogwood species.
Water deeply when you first plant and continue to water regularly until the tree is established.
Give your tree a drink in hot, dry weather, or it may drop some leaves.
Your tree will require less water in winter.
Empress of China dogwood is better suited to humid than dry, arid climates.
Fertilizer
The Empress of China dogwood should only be fertilized once a year in spring.
Dogwoods get the greatest benefit from annual fertilizing when they are young.
Use a slow-release tree and shrub fertilizer, or add a fresh layer of compost around the tree.
Thesesmall understory treesare classified into tree and shrub forms.
Dogwoods suitable for the South include:
Pruning
This low-maintenance tree does not require any pruning.
Remove a stray or broken branch with a sharp pair of loppers or pruners at any time.
If you want to reshape the tree, wait until after flowering so you don’t lose the blooms.
You will see less fruit on the tree wherever you remove the spent flowers.
Overwintering
Empress of China may not be reliably hardy in Zone 6 during a harsh winter.
If you are expecting unusually cold temperatures, insulate the roots with athick layer of mulch.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
For a dogwood, Empress of China is considered very disease-resistant.
The tree is not susceptible to the anthracnose that plagues many native dogwoods.
The thick, leathery leaves are fairly resistant to mildew and insect damage as well.
White blooms of four petals surround a golden center, appearing after other flowering dogwoods have finished blooming.
Depending on how far north you live, the tree may not start blooming until early summer.
Failure to bloom might be caused bypruning the tree at the wrong time.
Pruning in the spring before flowering sacrifices some flowers.
Pollinating insects, butterflies, and birds are attracted to the flowers and berries.
It is resistant to deer and insect pests.
