Educate Yourself About the Flowering Dogwood and Their Visiting Birds
Flowering Dogwood
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), has an abundance of pink or white flowers, that will turn into a high lipid fruit in the fall. This fruit is great for many migrant birds that need the fat deposit for their journey ahead. At least 36 different birds of thrush, grosbeaks, woodpeckers and tanagers love to eat this brilliant fruit. By removing some bottom branches and clearing the soil from leafs and twigs, and spread some seeds or nuts for ground feeding birds is a great idea.
The Flowering Dogwood likes moist and well-drained soil and lots of sun. This tree will grow up to “between” 10-30ft (3-9m), and have a spread of around 25ft (7.5m). Some alternatives are Red Osier Dogwood (C. stolonifera), and they like moist soil, with full sun to partial shade. Another one is the Leaf Dogwood (C. Alternifolia), this tree is very fast growing but short-lived and prefers rich, moist, and acidic soil.
