Flowering dogwood: when and how to prune

Flowering dogwood: when to prune it?

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It hardly needs pruning. If something has to go, do it after flowering, in June.

What else to prune in those months? June

Flowering dogwood: how to prune it?

1. Remove dead, diseased and damaged branches back to healthy wood.
2. Cut out crossing or inward-growing branches at the base to keep the crown open.
3. Keep the natural tiered shape: do not shorten branches or clip it into shape.
4. Use sharp, clean secateurs or a saw and prune in dry weather.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: June.
• Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in June can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Flowering dogwood flowers in May, when it attracts bees.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Common dogwood
• Cornelian cherry
• Giant dogwood
• Red-barked dogwood
• Japanese cornel (Cornus officinalis)
• Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Plant profile: Flowering dogwood · Pruning calendar and basic rules