This section is from the book "The American Garden Vol. XI", by L. H. Bailey. Also available from Amazon: American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.
Among our collection of new and rare ornamental trees and shrubs, none have given us more pleasure and satisfaction than the beautiful red-flowered dogwood. It has bloomed before for us, but as the plants were small it did not show to perfection. But this year it has a good opportunity to display its charms, and it seemed to surpass itself. Imagine a large, well developed bloom of the white-flowered dogwood, three to four inches across, but instead of being white, you see it the most beautiful pink. We had three and four year old plants this year, but five feet high, with over seventy good sized, well developed blooms on each plant. The foliage is also quite different from the white-flowered dogwood, as it is much darker in color, and has somewhat of a velvety appearance. One can readily select a red-flowered one from among a number of the parent plants, simply by the difference in the foliage.
Like all dogwoods, it is easily transplanted, as it makes plenty of fibrous roots, even when a good sized tree. It is destined to be one of the most popular ornamental flowering trees within a very few years.
 
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