Dogwoods give you "2 for the price of 1." Best known for their spring blooms, they also provide fine fall foliage. For pictures, see my images at right.

Kousa Dogwood Trees (Japanese Dogwood Trees)

Japanese, or "kousa" dogwood trees (Cornus kousa) can be grown in zones 5-8. Their star-shaped blooms appear later in spring than do the flowers on other dogwoods; the (usually) white color of these flowers makes Japanese dogwoods useful in moon gardens.

Fall foliage is purplish-red. The red berries of kousa dogwood trees persist into winter and are eaten by wild birds. Average height and spread of 15'-30'.

A variation is provided by the "Satomi" kousa dogwood tree (Cornus kousa 'Satomi'), which bears deep pink blossoms in spring. Height 25'.

Flowering Dogwood Trees

Cornus florida is an indigenous dogwood tree in the U.S., where it is commonly referred to simply as, "flowering dogwood tree," as if there were no other. Such is the fondness for this fall foliage standout among landscaping enthusiasts in the U.S.

Cherokee Chief flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida 'Cherokee Chief') offer an impressive array of landscaping benefits. The lower branches of this "bird magnet" have a horizontal branching pattern, which in itself lends interest to the landscape. "Cherokee Chief" dogwoods grow to a height of 20'-25' and a spread of 12'-15'. This dogwood tree puts out red blooms in spring, while its fall foliage ranges from reddish-bronze to purplish.

Zones 5-9. In my own zone-5 landscaping I grow a pink dogwood tree: Cornus florida var. Rosea.

More on Fall Foliage Trees:

Ash Trees
Quaking Aspens
Autumn Blaze Maples
Beech Trees
Birches
Sumac
Maples
Japanese Maples
Shagbark Hickory
Ginkgo Biloba
Oak Trees
Tulip Trees
American Sweetgums
Sunburst Honey Locusts