Cornus nuttallii (br) |
Origin: Pacific Northwest
Zone Range: 6-9
Preferred Situation: Full/semi sun; well draining soil.
Harvest Date: Saturday 20 October, 2007
Description:
White flowers of 4-5 'petals' (actually bracts) appear mid May and sometimes again September. Ripe red berries and flowers can be on the tree at the same time. Co-evolved with our west coast climate of wet springs, dry summers and mild winters. Minimum height from root crown to stem tip: 20 cm.
Notes:
Price also refects shipping costs. Berries are relished by birds, especially by Flickers and Pilated Woodpeckers. Next year's flowers form in the late summer so keep this in mind when pruning.
Cultivation:
How I seat plants that will reach this size: dig a deep hole and sift the soil using a coarse heavy duty metal hardware screen into a wheel barrow. Amend the soil with compost, greensand, alfalfa, and some bone meal (no lime!). Mix well. Dump and pack of the amended soil back in the hole but leave enough room for the root system. Seat your plant, pack more soil around the roots until its properly seated with the crown just under the soil. Mulch well and water. Provide water until the plant is established in a few years. Don't prune! When unpacking your tree(s) set them in a bucket of water while preparing or doing the finishing touches to the transplant hole. Take a look at the cornus roots as they are tiered off the main tap root. When seating your tree each tier must be spread out on its own soil level not simply jammed in the hole and filled in as this leads to more tree failure than anything else! Yes, this applies to all bare root trees, shrubs and perennials too.
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