I love the idea of a Dogwood, I love how the flowers sit on the tree. There are some gorgeous Dogwood cultivars with both white flowers or or red flowers. They do well with some shade, and need moderate amounts of water (you can always drip the tree to make sure it's getting the right amount of water). Love that idea, I think Dogwoods are ethereal in their habit and shape.

Patty S.

didn't see the shade part.

This post was edited by hoovb on Mon, Aug 11, 14 at 14:45

If you go for a dogwood, I advise trying to shop in the fall so you can evaluate leaf color- I had some in a former garden and the fall color was variable- the best ones were an amazing color, worth seeking out.
Wishing I had enough shade for a dogwood here!
Pea

Thanks everyone!

I love the idea of a dogwood, partly because one of my neighbors has a large white flowering selection and I always admire it in the spring.

I've been looking into different types, I like some features of Cornus nuttallii but am a bit worried about the whole 'notoriously challenging in cultivation' thing. Eddie's White Wonder, a cross between Cornus nuttallii and florida, looks particularly attractive. I think I might go with one of those, unless I get warned off by someone with greater experience.

What about 'Cherokee Chief'? It is really beautiful, and would give you a nice pop of color.

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monvrovia: Cherokee Chief Dogwood

duplicate post.

This post was edited by hoosierquilt on Wed, Aug 13, 14 at 0:03

Cherokee Chief is very pretty, but I have a white clematis and lavender trumpet vines in the area already, so I feel like white is the safest way to go. In addition I've been jealously admiring my neighbors' white dogwood for years, so I'd love to have my own.

Thanks though!