Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on December 20, 2022

Planting instructions

In the warmer parts of the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree’s range, it can grow well in full sunlight. However, in the warmer parts of that range, it is typically best to use a partial shade growing location. This plant can also adapt to many soil types but does best in soils that are moist but well-draining with plenty of organic nutrients. Once you find a suitable area, plant your Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree in a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and about twice as wide.

Watering and nutrients

After planting your Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree, you should plan to water it often enough to maintain consistent soil moisture throughout the first growing season. Following the first growing season, you should water this plant based on soil moisture. Add water whenever you notice that the first two to three inches of soil have dried out. Fertilizer is not always necessary for the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree, but if you want to feed this plant, you can apply a balanced fertilizer once per year in the spring.

Pollination

As is true of many flowering dogwood varieties, the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree has flowers that contain both male and female structures. In most instances, the presence of male and female structures on the same plant ensures that the plant can reproduce on its own. However, many dogwoods can be self-incompatible, meaning that they need a companion plant to conduct pollination. Typically, the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree relies on flying insects to carry its pollen from one flower to another.

Pruning

You should be careful when choosing a time to prune your Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree. While many trees respond well to pruning in spring, this tree will often bleed a lot of sap if you prune it at that time. As such, it is typically better to perform light pruning during the late spring or summer months. Additionally, you can make larger pruning cuts during the dormant winter season, but this comes with the risk of removing the next season’s blooms.

Pests, diseases and animals

Sadly, dogwood trees, including the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree, are known to experience many pest and disease issues throughout their lives. Some of the most noticeable disease complications that this tree experiences will result in spots of discoloration on the leaves and petals. Anthracnose can also be a common problem for this species, but the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree has better resistance to that affliction than other dogwoods. Along with those diseases, this plant can also experience infestations of insects, with borers and midges being the most common.

Achieving maximum results

Although the Starlight Flowering Dogwood Tree is a lovely specimen that grows well in many locations, you should consider its mature size before planting it. While this plant will fit well in a small planting location during its youth, it will eventually reach a size that could amount to 30 feet tall and 30 feet wide at most. You should account for this significant spread when planting your Starlight Flowering Dogwood. However, if you find that you need to change this plant’s growing location, you shouldn’t have much trouble transplanting it since it has a shallow root system.

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