How to Grow Flowering Dogwood Trees from Seed

Growing dogwoods from seed is rewarding but requires understanding a key limitation: 99.9999% of seedlings from any dogwood (pink, red, or variegated) will be white-flowering Cornus florida. To get colored varieties, you must bud or graft onto white dogwood rootstock.

Seed Collection and Preparation

• Collect seeds in late summer when they turn red and begin falling naturally.
• Seeds should pop off easily; if not, wait another week or two.
• Beat wildlife (chipmunks, birds) by harvesting promptly.
• Soak picked seeds for a week until pulp softens, then soak in water and squeeze to separate seeds from pulp.
• Float off pulp by slowly overflowing the pail—viable seeds sink.
• Dry seeds and store cool/dry until stratification.

Stratification (Breaking Dormancy)

Dogwood seeds have hard coats requiring pretreatment. Two methods:

Method 1: Warm/Cold Stratification (210 Days Total)

1. Calculate backwards from target planting date (e.g., May 15 = start ~Oct 15).
2. Place seeds in plastic bag with moist (not wet) peat moss or peat/sand mix. Poke air holes.
3. Store at room temperature 105 days.
4. Move to refrigerator (not freezer) 105 days.
5. Check weekly for fungus (treat with fungicide) and germination. Plant when 10% sprout.

Method 2: Fall Planting with Nicking

1. After cleaning, nick each seed in several places with a knife.
2. Plant immediately in fall.
3. Cover seed bed with screen to protect from wildlife.

Both methods have variable results—try both. The same techniques work for Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa), which blooms later (June) with cream flowers against dark green foliage.

Planting

Sow seeds on soil surface, cover with ¼" soil. Water thoroughly, then allow to dry before rewatering. Ensure excellent drainage to prevent rot.

With patience and proper stratification, you'll grow beautiful dogwood trees from seed.