Pagoda Dogwood Plant Profile

Pagoda Dogwood Plant Profile

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is an understory tree that is native to central and Eastern North America. The branches are held parallel to the ground and have an architectural tiered look that give it its common name.

It has four-season interest with small white flowers in spring that turn into dark berries in the summer. The foliage is solid green and turns burgundy in fall. There are also variegated cultivars such as ‘Golden Shadows’ and ‘Argentea’.

The berries are loved by birds and small mammals. It is a host plant for the Spring and Summer Azure butterflies.

It is up to 25 feet tall and 30 feet wide at maturity.

It is hardy to USDA zone 3-7

Pagoda Dogwood grows best in part sun to part shade and planted in moist, but well-draining soils.

This is a low-maintenance plant that does not require fertilizing or pruning. You can mulch lightly around its root zone with leaf compost annually.

You can propagate it by rooting stem cuttings or by sowing its seeds. Note that it can seed itself around naturally, so cull any saplings, if you do not want a small colony to form.

Pagoda Dogwood: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Video, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Colin Davan

 

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If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Sweetgum Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/12/sweetgum-plant-profile.html

~ Stewartia Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/06/stewartia-plant-profile.html

~ Dogwood Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2018/05/plant-profile-dogwood-trees.html

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Monday Thoughts: “No matter the result, there was nothing like the feeling of my hands in the soil, the sweetness of the fresh strawberries, and the pride of my first home grown salad.” ~ Debbie Millman

“No matter the result, there was nothing like the feeling of my hands in the soil, the sweetness of the fresh strawberries, and the pride of my first home grown salad.” ~ Debbie Millman

GardenDC Podcast Episode 249: Community Gardening

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Michelle Nelson, Montgomery Park's Community Garden Program Manager all about community gardens. The plant profile is an update on our previous one on Lavender and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Corn in Small Spaces by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 129: Sharing the Harvest

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-129-sharing.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 202: Documenting Gardens

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-202.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 198: Rats and Othetr Destructive Critters

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-198-rats-and.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1cWyZhU95ae5wEuCFDWtW2?si=r4y4_byvRVqLTaQcF_mCxA

Show Notes will be posted after 7-29-2025.

Michelle Nelson's profile in the September 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

Montgomery Park's community gardens conditions of use are posted here.

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edit & Show Notes: Miguel Zarate

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Fenton Friday: First Cukes

The good news is lots of cucumbers are forming on the rampant vines (see pic above). The bad news is the cucumbers may have a wild disease. Something is impacting their foliage and I'm going to go out early this weekend to more closely inspect the leaves when it is not so blazing hot.

Speaking of the heat, we are in another extreme heat wave, but this time we are missing those daily (late-day) thunderstorms. I've had to water a few times this week and hope for some of the forecasted rains this weekend to come through again -- though they are very hit-and-miss so the odds of us getting anything substantial are slim.

It was also another week of beating back the invasive morning glory vines and other weedy vines trying to choke out the tomato plants, dahlias, etc.

There are lots of blossoms on the Zucchini plants, so I think they will start producing very soon.

Lots of peppers are forming -- we'll see about picking some of them this week.

The Sweet Potato vine in the large container is starting to take off as is the Hibiscus.

I cut some Dahlias, Lisianthus, Zinnias, and Marigolds to enjoy in indoor vases. I also saw a self-sown Celosia plant is popping up next to the Dahlias, which is great as I never got around to starting those seeds.

I picked more 'Sun Gold' Tomatoes and some of the first Currant tomatoes along with a handful of Blackberries. I plan to pick Basil this weekend to make fresh pesto.

It was too hot to start some of the cool weather crops, so I'll wait for next week for that. Someone gave me some Brussels Sprout seedlings and I'm really hesistant to plant those out right now.

What are you growing and harvesting in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 14th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog.)

Cattail Plant Profile

Cattail Plant Profile

Cattail (Typha latifolia)  is a grass-like perennial  with a tall yellow cone of male flowers in the spring. followed  In summer and early fall, the female brown flower heads pack around the stem (giving it that classic “hot dog on a stick” look).

It is also known as Marsh Pestle, Corn Dog Grass, Water Torch, and Candlestick.

It is native to most of the Americas as well as to Africa and western Eurasia.

It is hardy to USDA zones 3 to 10.

Cattail can grow from 4 to 10 feet high. Dwarf Cattail (Typha minima) is a miniature version that is better suited for backyard water gardens

It prefers to grow in full to part sun in rich, wet soils or mud, It is also salt tolerant.

They are aggressive spreaders so it is best to grow them in containers.

Cattails provide nesting areas and food for birds and other wildlife. It is deer-resistant. The plant was used as a food and medicine by Native Americans. The cattail has also been used in padding for bedding, thatching for roofs, and as stuffing in life vests for the Navy during World War II.

Cattails are perfect for use in long-lasting dried arrangements

They are easy to propagate by seed or by planting a rhizome division.

Cattail: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Videos, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Miguel Zarate

Additional Video Footage by Colin Davan

Additional Photo by H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Horsetail Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/06/horsetail-plant-profile.html

~ Little Bluestem Grass Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/08/little-bluestem-grass-plant-profile.html

~ Black Cohosh Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/07/black-cohosh-plant-profile.html

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July-August 2025 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: Black Cohosh, Growing Cannabis, Bee-Friendly Lawns, and much more…

 

The combined July-August 2025 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

Inside this issue:

·         Beautiful Black Cohosh

·         Making Summer Bouquets

·         A New, Fragrant Shrub Rose Series

·         Demystifying Cannabis Growing

·         Cuckoo for Cuckoos

·         Growing a Bee-Friendly Lawn

·         Spotted Lanternfly Update

·         Keeping Ticks at Bay

·         Sunflowers: A Truly American Flower

·         Garden Book Reviews and Contest

·         Compost Tips

·         Meet Alan M Jones, President of Manor View Farm

·         and much more…

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the September 2025 issue are due by August 10.

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: https://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

Monday Thoughts: “It is curiosity that makes us want to try every new species or cultivar that might perform well in our soil and climate” ~ Linda Ziedrich

“It is curiosity that makes us want to try every new species or cultivar that might perform well in our soil and climate”  ~ Linda Ziedrich

GardenDC Podcast Episode 248: Water Garden Plants

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with Suzanne Boom, Senior Horticulturist with Longwood Gardens, all about water garden plants. The plant profile is on Lisianthus and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on Licorice-Tasting Basil by Christy Page of GreenPrints.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 11: Lotus

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-11-lotus.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 63: Water Gardening and Koi Ponds

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/06/gardendc-podcast-episode-63-water.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 228: Reducing Runoff with Rain Gardens

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/02/gardendc-podcast-episode-228-reducing.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter/subscriber at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

Visit https://shop.kathyjentz.com/ to browse our new online store!

This episode is archived at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NYznohs0Iho80cdFJATwc?si=1b67aaf7ebdc48ca

Show Notes will be posted after 7-22-2025.

Visit the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society at https://iwgs.org/.

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edit & Show Notes: Ian Ferris

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Fenton Friday: Vines Gone Crazy

It was another week of hot temps and daily thunderstorms. This has caused rampant growth of both our Cucumber/Zucchini vines, but also the invasive morning glory vines (see pic at right of them on our deer fence). They pop up everywhere throughout my plot and attempt to choke out any other plant they can climb on. I spend most of my weeding time unwinding them and riipping them out. 

We put in another few cages to train the climbing Cucumbers on them. There are lots of flowers and I see tiny fruits forming.

I picked our first few 'Sun Gold' Tomatoes and pinched back the Basil plants.

Some bunny came and ate all the foliage off the Cow Pea plants. Luckily, they resprouted new foliage even higher up and I hope that it is now out of rabbit range. 

I collected the Cilantro stems that were going to seed.

We fnally got the netting up for the Lisianthus. The plants are still pretty spindly and I've cut a few short flowers from them. Now that they are settled in I expect them to take off and fill in.

Next week, we should be starting some of the cool weather crops and maybe even harvesting a cucumber or two!

What are you growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 14th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog.)