Ragin' Pink Dogwood

OK, you perhaps won’t be raging, but you will certainly be jumping for joy when you see your Ragin’ Pink™ Dogwood Tree in bloom. This selection of our native eastern dogwood has unique bi-color flowers that are white but shading to intense pink around the edges of the flowers. The whole tree looks colorful and bright when it bursts into bloom in spring, before the leaves appear. Other spring-flowering trees do little else the rest of the season, but here, once blooming is over, the leaves appear, not green, but rich burgundy. This coloring persists through much of the summer, adding brightness and interest to your garden. In fall it ends in a grand finale of rich red leaves. This small tree grows no more than 20 or 25 feet tall, spreading a bit wider than that, with beautiful layered branching and a flattened top. It makes a gorgeous lawn tree for a smaller space, or as the queen of a shrub bed. Plant it in any style of garden, and it fits perfectly along the edges of natural areas, or in clearings in wooded sections of your property.

• A bold spring display of pink and white flowers on bare branches
• New leaves are rich burgundy, persisting into summer
• Dynamic deep reds brighten your fall garden
• Horizontal branching creates a tiered look of great beauty
• At home in all gardens, including natural settings

Plant your Ragin’ Pink™ Dogwood Tree in deep, well-drained soil that you have made richer by adding plenty of good compost. Acid soils are ideal, but neutral to slightly alkaline ones work fine too. In colder zones choose a sunny spot sheltered from cold winds. In warmer areas some afternoon shade is appreciated, and don’t plant near hot walls that will reflect the heat. It prefers to be near other, larger trees and not in an open, isolated spot, and doesn’t tolerate big city pollution well. Water regularly, and avoid water-stress in summer by soaking deeply from time to time. With a little attention like that this is an easy tree to grow. No need to prune – the natural form is elegant and beautiful. If you want a higher trunk, prune up in spring while still young, to avoid scarring the smooth trunk.