Pruning Dogwood Trees and Shrubs for Years of Vibrant Multi-Season Color

To my mind, beautiful flowering dogwood trees seem as though they were designed by a young child. They are simple but amazing trees – not too tall, not too small – with straight stems, horizontal branches, and four-petaled “flowers” that cover the tree in spring. Many gardeners find dogwoods enchanting, and love to include them as stunning ornamentals in their landscapes for years of beauty.

If you are growing dogwood trees, you know all about their potential for four-season appeal. It begins with the simple but charming bract-blossoms in spring. In summer, the foliage appears – a lovely shade of green which can sometimes be variegated with creams and ivories. By autumn, the fruits develop, with berries that attract songbirds to your garden. The cycle finishes in winter, when the leaves have fallen and you can admire the graceful structure of the trunk and horizontal branches.

However, to keep this cycle going at its best, a little tough love is required. Late winter is a good time to think about pruning dogwood trees. Knowing how to prune a dogwood tree means we can continue enjoying the magic of their spring flowers. This article also looks at pruning dogwood shrubs to lock in years of vibrant winter stems. Here’s how (and when) to make those cuts for healthier growth and color, to keep your dogwoods flourishing, and ensure many seasons of ornamental splendor.

Which Dogwood Do You Have?

Before you make your first cut, make sure you know which dogwood you are hosting. Dogwoods generally fall into these main categories, so check before polishing your pruning tools and reaching for the step ladder:

• Dogwood Trees: This group includes the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) and the Kousa dogwood (C. kousa). Dogwood trees grow with a central leader (trunk) and are prized for their height and spring canopies in shades of white and pink.
• Dogwood Shrubs: These include the red twig or Siberian dogwoods and yellow twig dogwoods (C. sericea). These are multi-stemmed thickets that are grown specifically for the brilliant neon reds, acid yellows and hot magentas of young bark in winter.

What You Need for Pruning

A few tried-and-trusted pruning tools that are clean and sharp are all you need for dogwood pruning, whether you are looking to prune shrubs or trees. Depending on the thickness of the branches you will be tackling, you’ll likely need some loppers, a pruning saw, pruning shears (or secateurs), and a good blade sharpener.

For pruning dogwood stems up to half an inch (1.3 cm), a pair of bypass pruners are better than anvil pruners. Choose industry-favorite Fiskars Forged Steel Bypass Pruners from Amazon for clean, precise cuts. For tree branches 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) thick, a pair of heavy-duty loppers is your friend. Try Fiskars 32-Inch PowerGear Loppers from Amazon, which are great for leverage.

For any branches with a wider diameter than 2 inches (5cm), it’s best to use a pruning saw. While it might feel like a hit to your pockets, these saws pay for themselves after a couple of years in terms of the trees they could potentially save or manage. Go for something like the Silky Zubat Arborist Hand Saw from Amazon.

Sharpen dull blades with a sharpening tool such as the AccuSharp Garden Tool Blade Sharpener from Amazon. Grab some sturdy gloves like the WZQH Leather Work Gardening Gloves from Amazon to protect your hands, plus some rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol is good) to wipe blades between cuts. Sterilizing your pruning tools will help to prevent the spread of diseases like Anthracnose.

Pruning Dogwood Trees

Unlike many fruit trees, dogwood trees don't demand heavy pruning for shaping. Most types of dogwood trees have naturally attractive shapes. That said, a light touch is a good idea if there are dead or damaged branches or if you wish to limit the size of the tree. In terms of when to prune dogwood trees, the golden rule is to do it while the tree is dormant.

Late winter is the sweet spot. The tree is asleep, and the absence of leaves allows you to see the skeleton of the branches perfectly. Avoid pruning in late spring or summer. Dogwoods are bleeders; pruning during the growing season can cause sap to leak, which attracts pests and increases the risk of dogwood borer infestations.

Walk around your tree and identify any dead, damaged, or diseased wood (the three Ds). These should be removed first. Prune dead and diseased branches at the trunk. Then look for branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other. Rubbing creates wounds in the bark that act as doorways for fungus. Remove the smaller of the two crossing branches.

Remove a few of the smaller inner branches to allow light and air to reach the center of the tree. This keeps the foliage dry and prevents powdery mildew. Then inspect the tree again, looking for any branches that seem out of balance. Trim them, following the dogwood’s natural shape. If the lower branches are hitting the ground or obstructing a walkway, trim them back to the main trunk to lift the canopy and maintain the ‘skirt’ of the dogwood tree.

Pruning Dogwood Shrubs

Pruning is completely different for dogwood shrubs. In fact, you could say it is quite a dramatic affair. While we prune trees for shape, we prune shrubs for color. The brightest red or yellow pigment lives in the new growth. As stems get older, they turn a dull gray. So to keep that winter fire burning, so to speak, when pruning red twig dogwood shrubs and the like, you need to adapt an approach called coppicing.

Coppicing involves cutting the shrub back almost to the ground to encourage fresh, colorful stems to grow. Dogwood shrubs have many stems rather than just one solid trunk, so initially a little patience is required. You need to let the shrub grow for 2-3 years without pruning. This helps it to establish a strong root system. Only after that period of time passes should you coppice for the first time.

As for dogwood trees, prune dogwood shrubs in late winter or early spring while they are dormant and before they have started to leaf. At this point, every 1-3 years, you can ‘hard prune’ dogwood shrubs by cutting the entire shrub back to the ground, leaving just 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of stem above the soil. Cut back each stem to between 2-4 sets of buds from the ground. Be sure the cuts are smooth and clean. This hard pruning encourages better growth and a nice shape for the shrub.

All of the stems will grow in with a bright tone. By winter, they will be several feet tall and extremely attractive. You can cut back every year, but many gardeners prefer to do a hard prune every other year. Pro tip: If you really can’t bear to have a bare spot in your garden, use the rule of thirds. Each year, remove the oldest third of stems. This ensures you always have a mix of established height and vibrant new color.

Dogwood Pruning Aftercare

Once you’ve finished, give your dogwood a little thank you gift: Apply 2–3 inches (5-8 cm) of organic mulch around the base, using wood chips or a pine-based mulch like Back to the Roots Organic Mulch from Amazon. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk itself to prevent rot. This regulates soil temperature as the tree wakes up. Mulch the cut stems of shrubs generously.

Remember, pruning is a stressor. If the subsequent spring is particularly dry, ensure your dogwoods get a deep watering once a week to support their new growth. Finally, you might see pruning paint promoted in stores. However, dogwoods are excellent at walling off their own wounds naturally. Follow these steps, and your dogwoods will remain the stars of your garden, offering a masterclass in color from the first bud of April to the deepest frost of January.

Frequently Asked Questions

Dogwood Pruning Toolkit

Your dogwoods deserve care when pruning, so make sure you have the right kit for the job. Keep this trip of tough love superstars close for sharpness, efficiency, precision and comfort:

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