How Much Does a Dogwood Tree Cost?

Updated on September 4, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 9 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

A dogwood tree typically costs about $40 to $150 for a common 1- to 7-gallon nursery tree. Larger trees around 6 to 10 feet tall commonly cost roughly $100 to $400, while specimen trees 10 to 20 feet tall can cost $250 to $800 before delivery and planting.

Current retail prices show how affordable ordinary nursery dogwoods can be. Home Depot currently lists 1-gallon flowering dogwoods around $40, several 5-gallon flowering and Kousa dogwoods around $59 to $83, and many 7-gallon trees around $86 to $100.

Planting changes the budget. A small dogwood under 6 feet may cost $125 to $300 installed, while a 6- to 10-foot tree can cost roughly $200 to $700 installed. Large specimen-tree projects can reach $400 to $1,300 once the tree, transport, equipment, and professional planting are included.

Article Highlights

• Most common 1- to 7-gallon dogwood trees cost about $40 to $150 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 1.3 to 5 hours of work, before taxes).
• Current 5-gallon flowering and Kousa dogwoods commonly sell for about $59 to $83.
• Many current 7-gallon dogwoods cost approximately $86 to $100.
• A 6- to 10-foot nursery tree can cost about $100 to $400 before planting.
• Large 10- to 20-foot specimen trees can cost $250 to $800 before installation.
• Professional planting commonly adds $75 to $150 for a small tree and $100 to $300 for a medium tree.
• Kousa dogwood is generally more resistant to dogwood anthracnose than flowering dogwood.
• Flowering dogwood is native to eastern North America, while Kousa dogwood is native to Japan, Korea, and China.
• Dogwoods are slow-to-moderate growers and can live much longer than 20 to 30 years under favorable conditions.

How Much Does a Dogwood Tree Cost?

Dogwood example	Current price	Size
Kousa Pink	$39.70 (about 1.3 hours of work at $30 per hour)	1 gallon
Cloud 9 flowering dogwood	$41.15	1 gallon
Cherokee Brave	$60.47	5 gallon
Pink flowering dogwood	$62.83	5 gallon
Kousa dogwood	$69.03	5 gallon
White flowering dogwood	$82.99	5 gallon
Kousa dogwood	$85.91	7 gallon
Cloud 9 dogwood	$92.09	7 gallon
Cherokee Chief	$97.98	7 gallon

Current Home Depot dogwood listings put many common 5- and 7-gallon trees between about $59 and $100. That is a much more useful retail benchmark than assuming an ordinary dogwood costs $200 to $500.

For example, a current 5-gallon Kousa Aurora dogwood costs $59.25.

Nursery prices vary by region, cultivar, container size, season, and shipping. A rare cultivar or large landscape specimen can still cost several hundred dollars, but it should be treated separately from ordinary garden-center stock.

What Size Dogwood Can You Get?

Container size is often a better shopping comparison than labels such as “young” or “mature.” A 6- or 8-foot nursery tree is not a mature dogwood. It is simply a larger transplant-ready tree.

HomeGuide’s current tree pricing data provides a useful size-based benchmark for landscape trees:

• Sapling under 3 feet: $10–$40 (about 0.3 to 1.3 hours of work at $30 per hour)
• Small tree under 6 feet: $50–$150
• Medium tree 6–10 feet: $100–$400
• Large specimen tree 10–20+ feet: $250–$800

Dogwoods commonly fit within those ranges, although named cultivars and unusually large specimens can cost more.

A smaller dogwood is usually the better value if you can wait for it to develop. Clemson Extension describes dogwoods as slow-to-moderate growers, rather than fast trees that routinely add two feet every year.

A larger tree gives more immediate landscape impact, but it also costs more to move, requires a larger planting hole, and may need equipment or professional handling.

Flowering Dogwood vs Kousa

The two most common ornamental choices are flowering dogwood and Kousa dogwood, but they are not interchangeable.

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, is native to the eastern United States. Clemson’s dogwood growing guide says it commonly reaches about 15 to 40 feet depending on site conditions. Its familiar white, pink, or red floral bracts appear in spring before or as leaves develop.

Kousa dogwood, Cornus kousa, comes from Japan, Korea, and China. It generally reaches around 15 to 30 feet, flowers several weeks later, and develops distinctive reddish fruit.

Kousa also has an important practical advantage. Clemson’s current dogwood disease guidance says Kousa dogwood is generally resistant to dogwood anthracnose and can be a better choice where that disease has caused problems.

This does not mean Kousa is maintenance-free. Both species still need an appropriate site, drainage, moisture during establishment, and protection from drought stress.

What Does a Dogwood Cost Installed?

The purchase price is only half the comparison if you are hiring someone to plant the tree.

Current tree-installation data puts labor at roughly:

• Sapling: $50–$100
• Small tree under 6 feet: $75–$150
• Medium tree 6–10 feet: $100–$300
• Large tree 10–20+ feet: $150–$500

Case 1: small Kousa. A $69.03 5-gallon Kousa plus $75 to $150 in planting labor gives a modeled installed cost of:

$144.03 to $219.03

Case 2: larger nursery dogwood. A $200 medium tree plus $100 to $300 for planting produces:

$300 to $500 installed

Case 3: specimen tree. A $600 large dogwood plus $150 to $500 for installation produces:

$750 to $1,100 installed

Delivery can add more if the nursery charges by distance or if a large root ball requires special equipment.

Hidden Costs After Buying the Tree

The biggest hidden cost is not fertilizer. It is often delivery, professional planting, irrigation, or correcting a poor planting site.

Mulch is inexpensive compared with the tree itself. Current mulch pricing is about $25 to $100 per cubic yard for material alone, or about $2 to $8 per bag.

A newly planted dogwood normally needs only a modest mulch ring rather than an entire cubic yard. Keep mulch away from direct contact with the trunk.

You also should not automatically budget $100 to $200 for compost, topsoil, mycorrhizal products, and other soil additives.

University of Minnesota Extension’s tree planting guidance warns against heavily replacing planting-hole soil with amendments because sharp differences between the amended hole and surrounding native soil can restrict root expansion and create moisture problems.

Site-wide soil improvement can be appropriate when soil genuinely needs correction, but the default should not be an expensive pocket of enriched soil around one tree.

Plant It Correctly the First Time

Correct planting can matter more than buying the largest tree available.

Do not assume every new dogwood needs staking. Extension guidance says most newly planted trees actually develop stronger trunks when allowed to move naturally. Stake only when the root ball is unstable or wind can move the tree excessively, then remove the supports once the tree is established.

Useful planting principles include:

• Choose a site with good drainage.
• Dig wider than the root system rather than excessively deep.
• Keep the root flare at the appropriate finished soil level.
• Backfill primarily with suitable site soil.
• Water deeply after planting.
• Add mulch without piling it against the trunk.
• Stake only when stability requires it.

Flowering dogwood prefers moist, well-drained soil and often benefits from some afternoon shade, particularly in hot climates. Kousa is somewhat more adaptable but is not drought-proof.

Automatic annual fertilizer should not be treated as a required ownership cost either. Fertilization should respond to actual soil and plant needs rather than a fixed yearly schedule.

How Long Does a Dogwood Live?

A dogwood is not normally a 20- to 30-year disposable landscape tree.

The University of Kentucky’s landscape tree lifespan reference gives estimated landscape lifespans of about 60 to 70 years for both flowering dogwood and Kousa dogwood.

The U.S. Forest Service’s flowering dogwood profile notes that individual Cornus florida trees may live as long as 125 years under suitable conditions.

Actual lifespan depends on climate, soil drainage, drought, disease pressure, physical damage, planting quality, and site selection.

The same source shows why buyers should temper growth expectations. Dogwood height growth slows with age, and Clemson describes typical growth as slow to moderate.

Which Dogwood Gives the Best Value?

A smaller flowering dogwood makes sense if:

• You want a native eastern North American ornamental tree.
• You can wait for a smaller nursery tree to grow into the landscape.
• Your site has appropriate drainage and growing conditions.
• You want the lowest purchase price.

A Kousa dogwood makes sense if:

• Dogwood anthracnose is a concern in your area.
• You prefer later flowering.
• You like Kousa’s fruit and branching form.
• You do not specifically need a native Cornus florida.

A large specimen makes sense if:

• Immediate landscape impact is worth several hundred dollars more.
• The property has access for delivery and installation equipment.
• You are willing to pay more for transport and establishment.

For most homeowners, a healthy 5- or 7-gallon tree in the correct cultivar is the pricing sweet spot. Current examples around $60 to $100 provide enough size for a visible landscape addition without paying specimen-tree premiums.

What We Verified

• Checked: current 1- to 7-gallon dogwood listings commonly cost about $40 to $100, with some cultivars reaching $140 or more.
• Confirmed: professional planting commonly adds approximately $75 to $300 for small and medium landscape trees.
• Cross-referenced: Kousa dogwood is native to Asia, while flowering dogwood is native to eastern North America.
• Verified: Kousa dogwood generally provides better resistance to dogwood anthracnose than ordinary flowering dogwood.
• Checked: extension guidance does not support automatically filling a planting hole with expensive amended soil or staking every young tree.
• Confirmed: flowering and Kousa dogwoods can have landscape lifespans around 60 to 70 years, with some flowering dogwoods living considerably longer.

Related Tree Costs

For another compact ornamental with strong fall color, compare current Japanese maple tree prices. Homeowners comparing landscaping choices can also see the cost of a palm tree. Once a dogwood becomes established, occasional professional pruning may eventually become part of its ownership cost, which we cover in our guide to tree trimming prices.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a dogwood tree cost?

A common 1- to 7-gallon nursery dogwood typically costs about $40 to $150. Larger 6- to 10-foot trees can cost around $100 to $400, while large specimens may cost $250 to $800 before planting.

How much does it cost to plant a dogwood tree?

A small tree under 6 feet commonly costs about $125 to $300 including the tree and professional planting. A 6- to 10-foot tree can cost approximately $200 to $700 installed.

How much does a 5-gallon dogwood cost?

Current 5-gallon retail examples run from about $59 to $140, with many flowering and Kousa cultivars clustered around $60 to $85.

Is Kousa dogwood more expensive than flowering dogwood?

Not necessarily. Current 5-gallon Kousa and flowering dogwoods overlap heavily in price. Cultivar, seller, container size, and availability often matter more than the species name alone.

How fast does a dogwood tree grow?

Dogwoods are generally slow-to-moderate growers. Clemson reports flowering dogwood may grow about 15 feet in 18 years, while Kousa may add about 10 feet in 15 years under typical conditions.

How long does a dogwood tree live?

University of Kentucky guidance estimates around 60 to 70 years for flowering and Kousa dogwood in landscapes. Individual flowering dogwoods can live much longer under favorable conditions.