Burgundy-red fall foliage on most species. Bright red or bluish-black fruit. Exfoliating bark or horizontal branching give winter interest. Smaller species useful in the shrub border. May be used in naturalized areas or as understory plantings.
Fruit provide food for wildlife.
Plant in light shade to full sun, avoid extremely windy sites. When used as specimen trees in turfed areas, plant in beds extending to the edge of the mature leaf canopy and mulch with three inches of mulching material. Bluegrass exerts an allelopathic influence on Flowering Dogwood. Planting in beds will alleviate these problems. Useful in the woodland garden.