The dogwoods are blooming right on schedule. The showy white bracts add brilliance to both native woodlands and urban landscapes for about 2 weeks during early spring. Cultivars with pink or red bracts grow poorly in Florida, except in some of the cooler regions. Flowering dogwoods also add fall color. The amount of fall leaf color depends upon the amount of sunlight that is received and other factors.
Plants grown in full sun produce red to maroon fall leaf color.
Bright red fruit is produced on older plants. The berries are about inch in diameter and are produced in clusters of 2 to 16. They are not only attractive during the winter months, but are a food source for some birds. Dogwoods have many uses in the landscape. Properly placed plants can soften the vertical lines of a small home or provide a background for other plants such as azaleas.