Learning to recognize the importance of different shaped trees is a valuable tool for any home gardener. The branching pattern of open-head irregular trees offer wonderful shade, while the branches of weeping trees can accomplish the goal of softening the look of a landscape. The canopies of globe shaped trees are ideal for formal landscapes and fastigate shaped trees provide beautiful hedges to define boundaries. Learn how to utilize these shapely trees to help give your landscape definition and character.
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Long-blooming kousa dogwood produces white-bracted flowers in early summer, after native dogwoods. Growing to 30 feet tall and 40 feet wide, kousa dogwood has an open, horizontal to branching habit and beautiful flaking bark in shades of gray, brown, and white.
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Flowering dogwood is a spreading tree with horizontal branches that gives it winter interest. Size varies with climate; a typical size is 20 to 40 feet tall and wide. The distinctive leaves turn to reddish-purple in fall.
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With a mature height under 20 feet, pagoda dogwood is an excellent choice for small home yards. Creamy white, three-inch flower clusters appear in mid to late spring. Late in the summer, small blue-black berries appear, only to disappear as soon as the neighborhood birds find them.
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