Spring
Spent the Spring Equinox with the old Cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornus mas. Its age is a mystery, but at 20 ft tall and wide, I'd say it's been around awhile. Sadly, it's been neglected for many years and the multi-stemmed trunks have rubbed against each other for so long, they finally fused together in spots. There's not much to be done about that, but I was able to remove crossing branches and prune to encourage some new growth.
One advantage of having an old, neglected ornamental tree is that it's been left alone to take its natural shape, which is so interesting to me. Pruning is, of course, very healthy but sometimes I like to see what the plant decides to do itself. This particular dogwood, growing at the edge of the woods, has taken on a wide vase-shape, long branches sweeping the ground.. very graceful. Plus, the leafy branches create the perfect secret room come summer!
The Cornus mas is completely different from the showier species of dogwood (pink and white flowering C. florida and C. kousa). A subtle beauty, it gently ushers in the spring with a soft yellow hue. It's one of the first trees to flower, usually in March or early April, and the flowering period lasts three weeks! They're also easy to care for, with no serious pest problems. Plantsman Michael Dirr says, "this species is not used enough in the modern landscape," and I could not agree more.
Before
After