Not Legal Advice: In general, there are no laws or regulations in Virginia that prohibit you from removing individual trees on your own property. Dogwood may be the state tree but it isn't the state endangered tree.
Some specific regulations, however, might impact your property:
If your property is a part of a homeowners association, restrictions on the removal of vegetation may apply. Contact your homeowners association, if applicable, to determine whether restrictions apply.
Harvesting of timber on your property is regulated by the Virginia Department of Forestry.
Any land disturbing activity, such as removing trees and stumps, on more than 2,500 square feet of your property requires a permit from Fairfax County.
There may be restrictions for the removal of trees used to meet certain Zoning Ordinance requirements such as transitional screening or parking lot landscaping.
There may be environmental restrictions on your property.
Using proper pruning techniques is extremely important to the long-term health and viability of trees. Visit the Virginia Department of Forestry for more information on how to properly prune a tree.
Virginia designated the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) as the official state floral emblem in 1918 (also Virginia's state tree, adopted in 1956).
The dogwood is a small, deciduous tree with graceful branches that bloom in spring with large showy flowers (usually greenish-white, sometimes pink or yellow). The dogwood develops red berries in autumn, and the leaves also turn a deep red before falling for winter.
Here's Why You Should be Growing Dogwood Trees in Virginia, shared by AbsoluteTreeServiceInc.com.