Why is my dogwood blooming now?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question Why is my dogwood blooming now?

Answer This is the type of question I really like to answer, because there is no specific answer. The simple answer is stress. However, stressed plants, like stressed people, are anything but simple.

There are nearly as many reactions to stress as there are plants. At one end of the spectrum, some plants go temporarily dormant when stressed. Fescue grass does this during the heat of the summer. At the other end of the spectrum, some plants go permanently dormant (often called death). Of course, this is the reaction we hope to avoid. Between the two extremes, reactions include, leaf drop, flower bud drop, delayed spring growth, twig dieback, wilting, slow growth, stunted size, unusual growth habits and flower production. If we could teach plants to exercise and meditate, maybe they would be better able to deal with stress.

The causes of plant stress are as abundant as their reactions. Environmental factors include too much or not enough water, too much or not enough shade, too hot or cold and so on. Plants are very similar to Goldie Locks. They want it “just right.”

Hot and dry conditions often cause vegetables to abort fruit, flower buds and so forth. Most gardeners are familiar with this situation. When the stressful condition ends, then normal growth resumes. This scenario plays out for most vegetables a couple weeks every July or August.

Woody plants, like trees and shrubs, are generally able to withstand normal summertime conditions without showing any signs of stress. However, when you throw in a record number of 90 degree (or hotter) days, record low rainfall amounts and water restrictions, then the situation is NOT normal. This hot and dry combo produces stress for most every plant that is not accustomed to desert conditions.

Many spring blooming plants require chilly winter temperatures to induce flower production in the spring. Some of these plants like crabapple, dogwood, forsythia and pears can be stressed into flowering in the fall. Extremely dry conditions followed by moisture will sometimes do the trick. If your spring bloomers are flowering now, their ability to flower next spring will be reduced. These plants will get back on schedule next year, and this will be a showy way to remember a dry summer that has stressed us all.

For more info on stressed plants, visit http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id71/id71.htm If you don’t have access to the internet, then call me at 910-893-7533 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org

Stress causes plants to drop their leaves and people to lose their hair. Is there also a correlation between a plant blooming when faced with mortality and older men’s activities? If so, then I would say your blooming dogwood is simply having a stress induced midlife crisis.

Gary L. Pierce

Horticulture Extension Agent

Harnett County