What kind (Latin name)of dogwood is it? Or is it a crepe myrtle?? I found a link on crepe myrtle for you, because that is what it sounded like you had.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crape Myrtle Culture

No, No and No....Take all of the dead limbs out; Take only 1/3 the live limbs of the bush out, at a year(don't mistake or confuse these two)....take the LARGEST limbs/spikes/offshoots. But only 1/3 at a time. Do not cut it DOWN by height. By taking it down by limb size, you will eventually get is down to a manageable heighth and size. And not kill the shrub. Allow any suckers to come up from the sides, these will allow the shrub to 'bush up'...give it a couple of years....it's taken a couple to become overgrown!!!

Nancy.

Tom, are you talking about a Red Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) or a Red Twig Dogwood (They have small clusters of white flowers in late spring followed by white fruit on C. stolonifera and C. alba or purple-black on C. sanguinea, and bright red stems)?

A single trunk with a canopy shape leads me to believe that it is Cornus florida, probably "Cherokee Chief"?

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: All You ever Wanted to Know about Dogwood Cornus florida

Cornus florida. I should have known better than to say "dogwood" lol.

Thanks Nancy. I will do what you said. That was my original idea last year and I never got around to it. I did remove one dead branch and new branches were produced along the trunk.

Nell, I'm not sure of the variety of Cornus florida. Here's yesterday's picture.

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See the dead limbs? There are no bracts on those and no leaves will form either. It's an old tree.

Bad picture is bad, but this is the only shot I have of the tree. It was taken this past winter.

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You are always safe to remove dead or broken limbs, any time of the year. I found out from Mother Nature and ice storms that trees broken off at the main trunk do not come back from the ground.....they die.

Maybe Nancy knows something about Cornus florida that I don't, but I think she was referring to Red Twig dogwood care for a shrub that is naturally twiggy, not a single trunked tree.

I don't think you want to take out any of the live branches just yet. Cut the dead branches back to a live crotch. This tree will need all its good branches to make a comeback. I think it's the Red Twig dogwoods that you cut back 1/3 at a time to keep new red twigs coming, and expect suckers at the sides. My dogwood trees don't have suckers around the trunk at the ground.

The only time I cut a live dogwood limb on Cornus florida is if it is hanging over where the truck hits it, or it blocks a path. Cut limbs will weep during late winter when sap starts rising. We thought somebody's vehicle was parking in our driveway and leaking oil until we put down Oil-dry and new fluid appeared on top. Then we looked up.

Nell

Nell, I made a mistake in the back yard last year. I cut two dogwoods to the ground before I realized what they were. They had lost their leaves and I didn't bother to look up before cutting them. I was in a mood. LOL.

They've weeped all over the place. But both are putting out new growth. I'm curious to see what comes back this year from those stumps. I hope to get a multi-branched tree.

I'll do what you say on the large one out front. It's such a deep red bloom and the fall foliage is beautiful too.