Cherokee Princess® Dogwood
Cornus Florida var. 'Cherokee Princess'
Mature Height: 20 to 25 ft.
Mature Spread: 20 to 25 ft.
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| Bloom Color: | Crisp white |
| Bloom Period: | Early to Mid Spring |
| Fall Color: | A rusty brick red mixed with shades of purple, yellow, and orange |
| Foliage Color: | Green; new foliage is bright green |
| Genus & Species: | Cornus Florida var. 'Cherokee Princess' |
| Growth Rate: | Slow to moderate |
| Mature Height: | 20 to 25 ft. |
| Mature Spread: | 20 to 25 ft. |
| Soil Type: | Adaptable, but prefers moist, well draining soil that is rich in organic matter |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun, partial sun, partial shade |
| Zone: | 5 to 9 |
The Cherokee Princess dogwood stands as one of the most celebrated white-flowering cultivars in American horticulture, and for good reason—this tree delivers a spectacularly early and abundant floral display that transforms the spring landscape into something out of a fairytale. Each individual bract can reach up to 2 inches long, creating blooms that span a full 4 inches in diameter, substantially larger than the species type. When you consider that Cherokee Princess blooms begin appearing when the tree is just 2-3 years old (compared to the typical 5-7 year wait for seedling dogwoods), you begin to understand why this cultivar earned its royal moniker. The showy white bracts—modified leaves that people mistakenly call petals—surround clusters of small, true flowers that are actually rather inconspicuous yellowish-green affairs. But who's looking at those when you've got four spectacular white bracts stealing the show?
The tree maintains the classic dogwood architecture: a low-branching, broadly pyramidal form that typically matures at 15-30 feet tall with a 20-35 foot spread. The horizontal branching creates those distinctive tiered layers that make dogwoods such elegant understory specimens. In late summer through fall, the pollinated flowers develop into clusters of bright red drupes that persist well into winter. Fall foliage transforms from deep green to striking combinations of rust-red and purple—not the psychedelic swirls of some cultivars, but a more refined burgundy display that pairs beautifully with the ripening fruit.
Cherokee Princess excels as a specimen tree near patios, along woodland edges, or as a focal point in mixed borders where its early bloom can serve as a backdrop for later-flowering shrubs and perennials. The tree's manageable size makes it suitable for smaller properties, and its tolerance for partial shade means it can be successfully integrated into existing landscapes without requiring extensive site modification. Plant it where morning sun can illuminate those white bracts—they practically glow in early light—and afternoon shade can protect it from the harshest heat. The horizontal branching structure provides natural architectural interest even in winter when the bark's alligator-like texture becomes more visible.
Because of its early bloom period and substantial flower production, Cherokee Princess serves as a excellent nectar source for pollinators emerging in early spring when food resources remain scarce. The later fruit production provides high-fat nutrition for migrating and overwintering birds precisely when they need it most. For those creating native plant gardens, Cherokee Princess offers the reliability of a cultivar with the ecological function of the native species.
Cherokee Princess shows improved resistance to spot anthracnose (Elsinoe corni) and powdery mildew compared to straight species plants, however— it is important to note that Cherokee Princess is not resistant to dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructiva). In appropriate sites—well-drained, organically rich, slightly acidic soil with good air circulation and some shade during the hottest part of the day—Cherokee Princess performs reliably with minimal disease pressure. The key is avoiding stress: don't plant in compacted soil, don't let the root zone dry out completely, maintain 2-4 inches of organic mulch, and for the love of all that's holy, don't let the lawn mower or string trimmer wound the bark.
As a selection of our native Cornus florida, Cherokee Princess supports a wide variety of species of Lepidoptera larvae, making it among the more valuable woody ornamentals for supporting the caterpillar populations that feed birds and create a valuable food web.The flowers attract bees, small beetles, and various fly species—a respectable pollinator guild for an early-season bloomer. But it's the fruit that really earns Cherokee Princess its wildlife credentials. Research by the U.S. Forest Service documents that dogwood drupes serve as important food for numerous songbird species.
General care for any tree or shrub is easy, but like any living thing will require your attention. Please educate yourself and follow these simple rules.
What a wonderful business; I will be returning to this family-owned business in the spring when they have restocked. My single purchase was a 4' Samaritan Kousa Dogwood, which arrived looking perfect. I recycle, so the chunks of paper which held the tree to the side for protection will be reused. Also, bundling the roots in a moist package was so much more user- and travel-friendly than a heavy bucket or, worse still, burlap. I LOVE THIS COMPANY. The tree has been planted for a week, and the buds are opening beautifully. The trunk is very straight, and there is wonderful symmetry. This will be such a beauty when grown. Thank you, thank you.
Love the tree. Strong, straight and healthy. Thanks
I love this little tree. I ordered on April 26th or 27th and received and planted it on April 30th. It came bareroot and dormant with a very healthy root system. It's now May 23rd and it's got lots of leaf buds and is 4 feet from the ground. I love it and can't wait to see it flower.
My tree arrived beautifully packaged with no broken branches. It was at least 30 inches tall with healthy leaf buds and has a beautiful form. I would definitely recommend this company!
The tree was shoved into a box that was too small. The top quarter of the tree was broken to fit it in the box.
Its only a twig right now with NO leaves or flowers. Hopefully it will grow to a gorgeous tree.
Nice size and healthy tree. The trunk has a bend from a very ugly union. Looks like it’s been done by an undergrad at Rutgers University ! But it’s fine.
Stellar Nova and Aurora, were in separate orders - late April and early March 2026. Each arrived within four days via USPS. Easy to plant, leafed out within 10 days, and appear to be doing well. The Nova bloomed this year and held blooms for about a month.
My tree is still small, but looking as healthy as when it arrived!
Amazing tree and great customer support, they even checked on me to see how thectree was doing
The dogwood trees were delivered very healthy and the shipping container was excellent. The planting instructions were followed and the trees have fully leafed out and are in great shape!
Travis was extremely helpful in getting the shipping timing right.
Very happy with my experience!
Don't know if you received my message. Please let me know
Gary
The tree arrived in perfect condition, carefully packaged and healthy. Look forward to watching it leaf out and flourish.
Easy to order. Arrived in good condition. Leaves were slow to pop but are doing fine now.
Thanks
Tree came as promised. Was healthy and ready to plant. Has grown and shows leaves already. Can't wait to see it bloom.
My tree arrived and it was packaged so nicely. I have it planted on my backyard making a dogwood grove. This tree is growing nicely and getting some buds already. I’m looking forward to
Watching g it grow
So far so good, tree looks in good condition. Looking forward to seeing it grow up.
It's a healthy and beautiful dog would I love the leaves the leaves are out now I'm tickled to death about it and for the value of that tree well worth it thank you so much
Love my new Kousa dogwood tree!! I received it within 4 days of my purchase. It is in a dormant stage, and I planted it according to the instructions. Along with the mulch. I hope to see some leaves one day, but I probably won't see a bloom this year. It will be beautiful when it grows, as I have been looking for this color for over a year now. Thank you New Blooms for offering this tree at a price I could afford.
Very nice, good size and healthy. Trees packed well in shipping. Good communication, thanks!
Nice size tree with extensive roots
This tree was delivered loooking like a stick and after being planted for about two weeks it still has not shown any sign of growing
Hello James, this is Travis. We appriciate your review. What you are describing is exactly what a healthy bare root tree should look like when it arrives. Our trees are field grown and shipped directly from cold storage, so they come to you dormant. Two weeks is still early 2-4 is what we usually expect for a new bare root tree. It will already be growing roots if planted correctly and kept moist during this time. If you scratch the bark gently with your thumb you should seen green underneath this is the sign of a tree that's going to break bud and leaf out in a few weeks. If you have any further questions feel free to reach out directly to us at support@newblooms.com. With this busy time of year it may take me 24 hours to reply, but I try to stay on top of it a few times a day.
The dogwood tree was delayed by USPS. Travis assured me that the tree was packaged with roots protected. Tree arrived today and is a beautiful tree with good form. It was packaged snugly with no wiggle room and roots were enclosed in a plastic bag. I loved the care in packaging. I am especially pleased with the beautiful shape of the tree.
Beautiful healthy dogwood tree. Well developed roots and nice size. I am very happy with it and I can't wait to see it bloom. Thank you!!
No problems.
Ordered 4 special-variety dogwoods to help combat the powdery mildew in my area. The bare root trees arrived looking tall and healthy, and after being in the ground a couple weeks ago, I’m seeing little leaf buds popping up. Trees look great so far!
Outstanding quality from this nursery. I ordered a 'Venus' and a 'Snow' dogwood, and both arrived in excellent condition. The trees were robust and showed great vigor right out of the box. They transitioned perfectly into the garden and are clearly high-quality stock.
On time packaged correctly