Cornus Florida Pluribracteata, Flowering Dogwood Pluribracte

Cornus Florida Pluribracteata (syn. with Cornus Florida Plena) is a deciduous American dogwood with showy white flower bracts and good autumn colour. It suits woodland gardens, large informal borders, and low-maintenance wildlife spaces.

Cornus Florida is a small flowering dogwood tree that’s native to North America where it grows in a variety of woodland and mixed hedgerow settings. The cultivar Cornus Florida Pluribracteata is synonymous with Cornus Florida Plena and was bred for its long-lasting flower bracts plus its autumnal array of rich colours.

In spring, new green foliage appears on the attractive, naturally dome-shaped branches. Its foliage darkens to mid-green by late summer, and then in autumn it turns shades of red and purple. When the rich autumnal leaves fall, they reveal eye-catching young purple stems.

In late spring, Flowering Dogwood Pluribracteata has showy flower bracts that are longer than the genus and irregularly shaped. They are white, with a hint of green, and flower from May to June.

This is a lovely small dogwood tree with extra-long flower bracts and glowing autumn colour. It’s a good choice of tree for small gardens given its small size and year-round colour.  

Height And Spread of Cornus Florida Pluribracteata
Flowering Dogwood Pluribracteata is a small deciduous tree that reaches a maximum height and spread of 2.5 metres.

How Hardy Is Cornus Florida Pluribracteata
It’s hardy in most places down to freezing temperatures if its roots are well drained. Pests are rarely a problem.

How To Use Cornus Florida Pluribracteata
Cornus Florida Pluribracteata is a good way to add height, shape, and attractive year-round colour with very little effort. The long flower bracts are dramatic in an urban garden and they suit cottage-style informal borders, but it’s low maintenance wildlife-friendly spaces this dogwood really excels in.

How To Care For Cornus Florida Pluribracteata
This pretty American dogwood is an easy-care option for busy gardeners and low-maintenance spaces.
It likes full sun to part sun in well-drained acidic to alkaline soil. If yours is very alkaline, try a thick layer of pine or bracken-based mulch in the planting hole and around the roots every springtime.

Pruning isn’t necessary, but you can remove crossed or damaged branches in late winter to early spring before any new stems and foliage appears. Be sure to water it well until you see new growth.