Dogwood – Not Blooming

Q: I purchased a small dogwood during the Dogwood Festival five years ago. The tree is quite healthy and has tripled in size. But it has never bloomed, not even put out a single bud.

A: “Making” a plant bloom is usually a fruitless task. Plants bloom in order to attract pollinators and thereby produce the seed that lead to their species’ survival. While the lack of specific nutrients will inhibit blooming, if your dogwood looks healthy it probably does not suffer nutritionally. My mantra in this situation is “If your plant is happy, it will eventually bloom.”. Mulch under your dogwood and make sure it gets enough sunlight. That will make it happy enough to eventually make flowers.