I have a pink Kousa Dogwood in my yard (I think variety Satomi or Rosabella). Well, the flowers are not very pink, rather an off-white. Anything I can do to enhance pink flowers, like I see elsewhere? The tree is in full sun. A few of the lower branches, which are shaded by its upper branches, have the nice pink coloration. Thanks, Paul
Answer
Hi Paul,
Dogwoods are understory trees which means they naturally grow in part shade under the big Oaks, Maple and Hickories at the edge of woodlands. The filtered sunlight they receive helps to protect the color of their flowers. In your situation, since the tree is in full sun, the sunlight is bleaching out the color of the flowers. There's really nothing practical you can do to enhance the flower color, unless you can come up with a way to provide shade like an awning or shade sail. If the tree is small enough, perhaps it could be transplanted to a more shady pot.
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About Linda Lillie
Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier
landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry
service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of
Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national
award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.
