Cornus florida 'Autumn Gold'
Autumn Gold Flowering Dogwood

 Plant Type:
 Growth Forms:
 Hardiness:
 Deciduous / Evergreen:
 Flower Notes:
White (Showy, creamy-white 2" dia. bracts with flowers in spring)
 Foliage Notes:
Green (Summer foliage); Yellow (Excellent golden-yellow fall color)
 Stem Notes:
Gold to orange winter stems
 Fruit Notes:
Red (Clusters of glossy, bright crimson fruits that contrast nicely with the yellow fall foliage)
 Ultimate Height:
15-25 feet
 Ultimate Spread:
15-25 feet
 Soil Notes:
Prefers well-drained, moist, slightly acidic soils
 Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves are opposite, simple, oval to ovate, dark green at 3-6" in length. Leaves have distinct veination best described as 6-7 vein pairs approaching the margin but never seeming to touch, sweeping toward the leaf tip. Stems turn yellow to gold to orange in the winter. Large terminal flower buds are shaped like a "Hershey's Kiss". Scaly bark resembles alligator hide.

Additional Information

This attractive cultivar is most notable for its strong, golden-yellow fall color and yellow to orange stems in the winter. Flowering Dogwoods are one of the finest small trees, interesting at almost every season. It has a distinct horizontal branching pattern. Widely adaptable, but material of different geographic origin varies widely in hardiness. The glossy, bright red fruit is an important food supply for native birds and other animals. Not extremely drought-tolerant, but useful in most parts of the Midwest. Dogwood borer and dogwood anthracnose (caused by Discula destructiva) can be problematic, especially in the Eastern and Southern US. Difficult to transplant and not pollution tolerant. Contrary to common perceptions, Flowering Dogwoods grow fine in full sun once established (might need a bit of shade in the South).

Other plants like this Cornus florida 'Autumn Gold' (Autumn Gold Flowering Dogwood)

The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Physical Facilities Grounds Department

Purdue Arboretum, 625 Agriculture Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN, 47907
© 2025 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by the Purdue Arboretum
Contact Purdue Arboretum at arboretum@purdue.edu for accessibility issues with this page | Accessibility Resources | Contact Us