Dogwood - Cherokee Brave Red

Move over, white-flowering dogwood trees. With its dazzling spring display of 4-inch-wide blossoms of dark reddish-pink with white centers, Cherokee Brave Dogwood (Cornus florida 'Comco No. 1' CHEROKEE BRAVE) is a sight to behold. This showstopper of a tree bursts into bloom before the leaves emerge to herald the arrival of spring!

Colorful and Vigorous
1. Spring and fall color. Reddish-pink blooms are the highlight of this tree in spring, but another red surprise appears in autumn with its brilliant fall foliage!

2. Fast growth. Compared to other red-flowering dogwoods, Cherokee Brave Dogwood grows almost twice as fast.

3. Attracts birds. After the blooms fade in spring, berries begin to form. These berries mature in late summer, turning a brilliant red to the delight of many birds that relish them as a fruiting food source.

Dogwood Design Tips
Cherokee Brave Dogwood is a carefully bred selection of our native dogwood tree (Cornus florida), prospering in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 through 9. Its horizontally branching form spreads out to make Cherokee Brave Dogwood a nice single-specimen shade tree. But its colorful impact is magnified when planted in small groupings or three or more trees. As an understory tree, Cherokee Brave Dogwood provides a smaller design element to surrounding, taller shade trees.

Few Growing Needs
Attention to these details helps Cherokee Brave Dogwood flourish:

• Sun. Sunlight enhances the red color of the showy bracts, but too much direct sun (particularly in the afternoon) may stress trees. A location that receives morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal.

• Soil. Rich, acidic and well-draining soil supports optimal growth.

• Water. Natural rainfall typically supplies enough water for established trees, but supplemental irrigation is needed during times of drought or particularly hot summers.

• Fertilizer. Apply fertilizer at the recommendation of soil-test results.

• Pruning. There's no pruning needed to shape Cherokee Brave Dogwood because it has a naturally upright, vase-like shape. Simply remove any broken or storm-damaged limbs to keep trees looking tidy.