Can you post a pic? I think that would greatly help in being able to answer your post.

Harryshoe,

It is best to minimize or avoid pruning eastern dogwoods. I think they look best if left alone. I had to do some pruning to remove anthracnose-affected branches on one tree and because of construction on another. The results (appearance) are less than desirable.

Attached is a picture of one of the dogwoods. It is really starting to get a nice shape and is covered in buds. This is a Cornus x Ruth Ellen. If the plant can thrive as is, I don't think I will prune.

{{gwi:325168}}

Does anyone know if this type produces berries?

C. florida does produce fruits/berries, but they aren't especially prominent features among the leaves, in my experience, unlike those of C. kousa.

What it looks like is that at some time while the tree was small, the top was removed (accident, mistaken good intentions, animal, ?) and 3 sprouts grew out from below the break/cut. If, at the time, the 2 on the right looking at the photo had been removed, it MIGHT have grown the remaining one as a new leader, and any lump on the trunk would have been minimal. Looking at the photo, I can see why you might want to try to train it, but it appears to me that the time to do that would have been when it was topped, or shortly thereafter. Doing so now will, IMO, leave a very noticeable lump on the trunk.

IF you REALLY do want the dogwood to be taller and only begin to branch at or above the height of the lower branches on the left hand trunk, AND you don't mind the lumpy trunk, then, as I said, you can take the other 2 branches off. The one left will fill out on its right side, and you will have a single-trunked tree, if not an absolutely straight trunk.

As Medamana said, C. florida is quite prone to disease, and this WILL give 2 avenues for any disease to enter. It's up to you....

I wouldn't think dogwoods would get big enough - at least here, where they're strictly understory trees - to be damaged by too much weight on a weak crotch-like area. I'd leave it alone - as it grows bigger, one of the leaders may become dominant anyway, and the others will die back naturally and drop off.
I'm not familiar with your cultivar. Can you tell me something about it, like what makes it different from regular cornus florida?
Sherry

"Can you tell me something about it, like what makes it different from regular cornus florida?"

If I'm not mistaken, it's a cross between C. florida and C. kousa, giving C. x rutgersensis ('Ruth Ellen' = 'Rutland').

I planted C. x rutgersensis 'Aurora' (= 'Rutban') 6 years ago, the little tree about 9 feet tall and I've never seen any berries so far.

Olivier.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/corut.htm

Thanks Olivier!
Many hybrids are like mules and don't make fruit - maybe this is one of them.
Sherry

Thanks Oliver. The "flowers" seemed larger and longer lasting than native dogwoods. Your link provided an explanation.

As these trees tend to spread, I think the multi-trunk look can be attractive. I will let it grow.

I am interested in pruning technique for these trees. Is it OK to remove small branches during winter?

The Rutgers hybrids tend to be quite disease resistant as well and not nearly as prone to anthracnose or leaf spot as the species Cornus florida. 'Ruth Ellen' takes most of her attributes from her florida parentage and is generally low and spreading in form. The multiple branching low to the ground (as in the photo) is very characteristic of this cultivar and it would not be to the tree's benefit or aesthetic appeal to remove one or more of those branches. Berry production will not be any more significant than on a comparable C. florida selection.

If at all possible, I'd refrain from any significant pruning. Most dogwoods tend to respond to pruning cuts by producing multiple shoots at that point, resulting in a very unattractive Medusa-like quality over time. Of course any dead wood can be removed at will.