Cornus seeds Tree bonsai Pagoda Dogwood alternifolia

LATIN NAME: CORNUS ALTERNIFOLIA

COMMON NAME: Pagoda Dogwood

The pagoda dogwood tiers the small, graceful tree with the tiered, horizontally layered branches, the oval, green leaves with the wavy edges, and the flat-topped clusters of the small, cream-white flowers that open through the late spring, the blue-black berries on the red stalks following. The layered branch pattern gives the tree its name, and the leaves turn the burgundy in the autumn. It likes the part shade, and the moist, leafy, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the dogwood family, the pagoda dogwood has a recognised place in the studies of the understory trees, and the species appears in the research on the tiered branch habit and the flower biology. The horticulturists value the architectural branch pattern, while the ecologists note the blue-black berries that carry the birds. The seed biology fills out the picture, and the growers of the small ornamental trees keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the shaded garden, the pagoda dogwood tiers the branches like the pagoda. The layered pattern gives the tree its name, the flat white clusters feed the bees, the berries feed the birds through the late summer, and the leaves turn the burgundy in the autumn. The hard wood has served the small wares for the ages. It grows well in the moist, leafy, shaded ground. Graceful, layered and cool-loving.

To grow the Pagoda Dogwood from seed,

Sow the seeds into the deep, leafy drills of the cold frame, then cover them lightly, keep the frame in the cool, shaded spot and water gently

Keep the frame cool and just damp, and leave the seedlings sheltered through the first winter. The tiered branches come over the years.

. The seedlings push through within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly. Settle the young trees in the part shade and the moist, leafy ground, and the tiered branches will layer the years.

It gets its common name from its pagoda-like horizontal branching pattern. An older name, Pigeonberry, refers to the fruits, which were once a favorite food of the now-extinct passenger pigeons. Its scientific species name, alternifolia, relates to the leaf pattern, which, unlike most dogwoods, alternates along the stem.

This plant's blossoms aren't as showy as those of the common Flowering Dogwood, but they are still attractive. They are creamy or yellowish white, very fragrant, and form clusters at the ends of branches. The flowers are followed by berries that gradually change from green to red to blue-black, on red stalks. These berries are a valuable food for birds and other wildlife.

The leaves can turn to a beautiful reddish-purple before they drop in autumn. The color varies from tree to tree, and may partly depend on growing conditions. The light brownish-gray bark, together with the interesting branching structure, give the plant winter appeal.