A couple months ago I managed to root a dogwood tree from cuttings. Only 1 of 3 cuttings rooted but I still considered it a success. After all it was the first time I had managed to root a dogwood tree from a cutting. You would be happy to! Since then I did another experiment. These are the cuttings I took in the how to propagate dogwood video (YouTube Link) I put together. Today I’m very happy to share the results. Keep in mind this is for Cornus florida but other tree dogwoods should root similarly. Red twig or yellow twig dogwoods are in fact a lot easier than tree dogwoods to root.
I may earn a small commission if you purchase through some of the links in this post at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I use and trust!

Cutting Size Matters
We’ve all heard the saying “Size matters Not” but actually, it might! Sorry Yoda! The cuttings I took in this batch were different sizes. The smaller ones were all successful while the larger one failed. the smaller ones were 3-4 nodes and only 3-4 inches long. The longer cutting was 5 nodes and was about 6-7 inches long.
I believe the smaller dogwood cuttings rooted because they had less vegetation to maintain and the energy could go into the roots and keep the cutting alive at the same time. This was a very small sample size with only 4 cuttings, getting a 75% rate, but I’ll take more cuttings in the future and observe how they do.
The cuttings were taken in June and took just under 8 weeks to get to the point you see in the picture.
Dogwood Tree rooting tips
- Take shorter 3-4 node cuttings no more than 4 inches long
- Use Hormodin 3 rooting hormone
- Keep under lights if possible out of direct sun
- Root in 6-8 weeks.
These young dogwoods are now ready to be potted up and grown on, and I’m looking forward to planting them in the yard next year.
The complete how to post is here if you would like more info: How to Propagate Dogwood Trees from Cuttings.
How to Propagate Variegated Hydrangea from Cuttings
While we were out of town this past weekend we visited one of my wife’s aunts. She has a custom built log cabin in the woods surrounded by her garden. Since her property is very shady one of the most prominent plants in her garden…
Some Good Plants to Propagate with Hardwood Cuttings
I thought I would take a moment to talk about hardwood cuttings. It is the beginning of winter and which is also a great time to go out and try to reproduce many of your favorite woody trees and shrubs in the garden. Many plants…
How to Propagate Pyracantha (Firethorn)
While out of town this past weekend at my in-laws home I took the opportunity to take more cuttings from their pyracantha (Pyracantha augustifolia). It is a favorite of shrub for birds due to its bright orange berries and is has an appropriately named common…
Rooting Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum Propagation)
Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) is one of my favorite shrubs (among too many to list) for good reason! It’s easy to grow, it’s dark glossy leaves change to various colors in red hues during the fall, and it provides nourishment in the form of berries…
How to Grow Buckeye from Seed (Aesculus pavia)
A couple years ago I bought a fantastic native plant at a local native plant nursery. It was a red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) and is great for attracting everyone’s favorite tiny garden visitor, the hummingbird. The flower clusters are red (you probably expected that from…
Layering a Viburnum, The Results!
It’s not a secret that I’m a fan of plant propagation. Who wouldn’t be? You get free plants! One of the easiest ways to propagate a plant is through a technique called layering. With layering you essentially pin down a branch of a shrub or…
Discover more from Growing The Home Garden
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.