The Asian dogwood rather than the American dogwood
There is a difference between American dogwoods and Asian dogwoods. American dogwoods have an extraordinary bloom in April. Unfortunately, here, they have caught a disease called anthracnose which is devastating to the foliage. The Domaine des Rochettes has therefore decided to stop selling them, in favor of Asian dogwoods.
Cornus kousa var. chinensis is a dogwood on which many other dogwoods are grafted. It has a beautiful white bloom, even pink for some cultivars. It also has the advantage of not being sensitive to anthracnose.
Portrait of the Asian dogwood
The Asian dogwood is a small shrub that grows up to 3 or 4 meters high, although we find subjects of 5 to 6 meters in English botanical parks.
It is a deciduous tree which starts to grow in April, and which blooms for a month and a half, from May to mid-June. It has quite extraordinary autumnal colors; as soon as a sunbeam illuminates its foliage, we obtain pink to red tones, with a little yellow or green hues.
Today, it can be found almost everywhere in France, in all nurseries, or specialized garden centers, whereas 10 years ago, it was more difficult to get one.
The culture of the Asian dogwood
The Asian dogwood is a tree that likes cool soils and sunny exposures, possibly slightly shaded.
The most important thing is not to install it on a calcareous ground. If you plant a young tree, the soil should be acidic. But if you plant it when it is already adult, a neutral soil will be appropriate.
The Asian dogwood also needs space and light so that it can grow in all directions and become a beautiful spreading tree.
A location sheltered from cool winds is desirable. It should be remembered that the dogwood is the classic tree of English gardens, which are relatively protected gardens, and where temperatures do not fall too low (with almost no frost).
The pruning of the Asian dogwood
From a maintenance point of view, the dogwood is a tree of choice, as it requires no maintenance. You can always remove a branch that does not suit you, but overall, it is a fairly homogeneous tree whose branches grow a little in all directions, giving it its very pretty silhouette.
Planting the Asian dogwood
Planting a young dogwood does not pose any particular problem. On the other hand, if you buy it of adult size (3 m high for 3 m wide), not only you will not be able to plant it alone, but moreover it will be necessary to place its root ball of 1 meter in diameter for 50 cm in height in a hole of 1,40 m in diameter.
Its root system remains confined in its root ball: it does not spread and, at the time of the plantation, the cut of the roots remains little important.
The planting of the Asian dogwood is ideally done in the fall, but the planting period can run until March 15. However, the longer the winter rest, the better the tree will do when it is time to recover.
