The Dogwood Walking Trail

In addition to their iconic status within the Knoxville community, dogwoods are deeply intertwined with the history of the Garden. Bruce Howell was responsible for introducing Cornus florida rubrum (Sweetwater ‘Red flowering Dogwood’) and Cornus florida rubrum (Cherokee Chief ‘Red Flowering Dogwood’) to the nursery industry. The Garden has been home to upwards of 50 varieties of dogwoods in the past and still boasts more than 20 varieties today.

Along this winding walk is also the Garden’s recreation of a very special plant environment, the seep. This wetland-type environment is an expression of groundwater flowing upward and surfacing on land. The Seep Garden hosts rare specimens that are endemic to seeps and other water-loving plants. Farther down the path as the dogwoods dot both sides of the trail, you will discover our newest garden, the Native Fern Garden. Bordered by a meandering natural fence and hydrated by soil that has been shaped into mounds and pools, a beautiful array of ferns will await each trail wandered.

Conceptualized in 2009, the Dogwood Trail began in 2010 with the creation of a soft surface path as well as over a mile of irrigation line. This was made possible through donations from the Wolf family, Howell Nurseries collaborators for six decades on projects throughout the area. The Wolf Tree Company volunteered hundreds of person hours to help install the stone border and plant trees. In 2012 and 2013, over 100 dogwoods were installed through contributions of the Dogwood Arts Festival's Bazillion Blooms program, as well as from our own stock and dogwood development history. Our collection has grown to be one of the most diverse in the country, containing specimens from all over the world including several threatened species.