How to Prune a Pink Dogwood

Pink dogwoods bloom with pink flowers instead of white.

Pink dogwoods are dogwoods that bloom with pink flowers instead of white. Nurseries propagate pink dogwood trees by grafting pink dogwood branches, known as scions, onto the roots of a white dogwood tree. Unlike wild dogwoods, which grow asymmetrically, pink dogwoods grow with a symmetrical root and branching system. Pink dogwoods seldom need pruning for shape. Instead, pruning should be utilized to correct problems such as broken branches or dead wood.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Branch loppers
• Gloves
• Sharpeners

Instructions

1. Select sharpened pruning shears or branch loppers to prune a pink dogwood. Pink dogwood trees are under-canopy trees with small branches. Because of this, you do not need to use a pruning saw. Sharp tools will make clean cuts and help the tree heal faster.

2. Prune the tree in early spring while it is still dormant. Pruning a pink dogwood after it has emerged from dormancy can allow dogwood borers to invade your tree.

3. Remove any shoots growing below the graft line of your pink dogwood tree. These shoots, which are known as suckers, can steal nutrients from the tree.

4. Cut back dead, diseased, bug-infested or broken branches. Remove these branches at the point where they join healthy branches. Cut each branch at a 45-degree angle sloping downward and away from the tree. Start each cut at a point just outside the growth ridge where the two branches join.

Tips & Warnings

• Sharpen branch loppers and pruning shears by pointing the blades away from you and dragging a whetstone down the length of the blades. Wear gloves as you do this to prevent injury.

References

• NC State University Extension: Dogwoods for North Carolina
• NC State University Extension: Pruning Trees
• NC State University Extension: Flowering Dogwood

Resources

• NC State University Extension: Stellar Hybrid Dogwoods