I've seen them growing wild here in open low-ish grassy areas. You should be fine with the mulch.

tj

yes, I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts showing some sign of stress.

Agree with ^....a shade-tolerant species that can still handle full sun......but not dry, baked soil.

Almost drowned my Pagoda Dogwood (which is in full sun) yesterday. Placed the sprinkler facedown on low under the tree, turned it on at ten, remembered at one that it was still on. Mulch was practically floating.

"I've seen them growing wild here in open low-ish grassy areas. "

Learn something everyday. They grow wild here, but I've never seen an open grown PD. Are they more bushy, or do they show the classic sympodial habit I see in moist woodlands?

That is too technical for me, lol. I can post a picture tomorrow.

Technical? Me? Now that's something I've never heard before.

It simply refers to the branching habit that gives it the "pagoda" look. Trees I see in open settings are usually more...full (i.e. bushy).

Not the easiest tree to photograph. This is the variegated form in a sunny spot. Never any damage to the foliage from the sun. The habit is bushy and dense. We've all seen pagoda dogwood with the layers of branches which make it so interesting. That's not the case here, maybe because its the variegated clone.

A volunteer PD in shade (gets a few hrs of early morning sun). Already starting to show the layering effect -- first layer lies on the ground:

Maackia, the definition I looked up was far more technical than branching habit. lol My pagoda has the horizontal branching.

@maackia- The open grown ones I've seen still kept the pagoda look, but they were somewhat denser. Certainly a factor of ample moisture with abundant sun.

tj

Sam, that's quite a variegated specimen. I've seen precious few and none even close to that in size. I agree, it doesn't have the classic form, but I'd take it. How much direct daily sun do you think it gets?

TJ, I suspect the open grown trees you see grow in heavier, moisture retentive soils. I guess you said that in so many words. It would be a very short lived tree in our sand.

Here's a PD on the campus of St Cloud State U. Ugly building; nice tree.

maackia -- nice specimen. The berry display later on should be just as nice.

Golden canker is pictured here This kills interior and lower branches of PD. It is a serious threat and can kill the whole tree. The branch should be removed and burned when found.

Maackia, the variegated tree in my pic is somewhat sheltered by the house. The owner cut the top out of the tree several years ago and it thickened up as a result. It is normal for the white to turn pink.

Indeed, most dogwoods can canker up when stuck in a too-hot or too-dry situation for too long. Nevertheless, right outside my office is at least one very nice pagoda in full, blazing sunlight. So I know it can work.

This is my pagpda.

Sam, thanks for the reference to Golden Canker -- my smaller PD (not shown above) has had that on a few stems. Didn't know what it was, but instinctively cut off those infected, dead stems. Fortunately it hasn't been serious so far.

Deb, your PD looks like it's variegated -- is it? Might just be the sun....

Sam, I also appreciate the info on golden canker since I see it on some of the wild growing trees.

Here's an open grown one, multistemmed, that was already growing here when we bought the place. The voles seem to particularly enjoy dogwood roots, and have so far killed this pagoda and another pagoda, a variegated shrub, and are trying with at least one Kousa and another two pagodas. I have given up trying to grow dogwoods until I find a way to reduce the vole population.

Although the photo shows it in shade, that was only for a couple hours very early morning before it spent the rest of the day in full sun. In winter, the tiered branches showed more than when it was fully leafed out due to the multiple stems.

beng12, I think it is variegated. What concerns me is the ends of the leaves turn black. I wonder if it is caused by too much sun?

Dang, Golden Canker. It sometimes seems as if every native has a designer disease. If ignorance is bliss, I wished I hadn't learned this.

terrene, who I haven't seen post here recently, has an effective vole deterrent: castor oil and urine. Seriously. She's on the New England Forum and I believe she just posted the "formula" recently, again. She's no blowhard, and if she says it wo rked I believe her.

I've opted out of the native, and instead grow giant dogwood, C.controversa, which is not prone to canker. Larger in all parts and more tree-like than pagoda, and will stand in full sun in TN. Just about impossible from seed though.

NHBabs, I've reduced mole/vole problems by continuously stamping down the soil around seedlings/saplings until it's rock hard & then they avoid those areas. Prb'ly not good for those trees initially, but better than roots being dug up by the critters.