Dogwood ‘Cherokee Chief’

* Common name: Dogwood ‘Cherokee Chief’

* Botanical name: Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’

* What it is: Dogwoods are beloved, small native trees that bloom prolifically in April. This variety is an oldie-but-goodie with the deepest, rosy-pink flowers of any type. (Some catalogs say the flowers are red, but they’re really deep pink.) New leaves are red-tinged, fall foliage is burgundy, and fall fruits are berry-sized and red.

* Size: Grows 18 to 25 feet tall and wide in about 25 years. Fairly slow-growing and can be kept smaller by pruning.

* Where to use: Best sited in the shade of taller trees (i.e. an “under-story” tree) or in area that’s out of hot, direct afternoon sun. Makes a beautiful, stand-alone specimen.

* Care: Dogwoods do best in rich, organic, well drained soil (not lousy clay or compacted “builder’s soil”), so improve your planting bed with compost if the soil isn’t excellent. Full sun and compacted soil is the death combo of many a dogwood.

Keep young trees well watered (consistently damp but never soggy), and fertilize each spring with a balanced, granular, organic fertilizer.

Prune out competing trunks and crossing branches to train when young, then remove lower limbs as tree grows. Also remove any weak branches that grow straight up.

* Great partner: Hydrangeas are good summer-blooming shrub partners. Russian cypress or spreading English yew ‘Repandens’ are low-evergreen choices. Leadwort is a good perennial groundcover option.