Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus Stolonifera)

Fundamental Facts

HARDINESS: Zones 2 to 7
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Slightly acid
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Average, moist
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun to partial shade
ATTRIBUTES: Vivid red or yellow stems in winter; for specimens, hedges, slopes
SEASON OF INTEREST: Year-round
FAVORITES 'Flaviramea', 'Kelseyi', 'Cardinal', 'Sibirica', C. sanguinea, 'White Gold'
QUIRKS: Cold temperatures improve stem color
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Holly, juniper, mahonia, mugo pine, ornamental grasses, ivy
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: In sun and cold climates
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Powdery mildew, leaf spots in damp, stagnant air
PRUNING: Lives for decades; thin stems or prune back severely in late winter
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Nursery plants
DIMENSIONS: 4-10 ft (1.2-3 m) tall and equally wide

Red-Osier Dogwood in the Landscape

When the sap rises in late winter, the stems of red-osier dogwood turn from purplish brown to vibrant red, lending much-appreciated color to the landscape. Also called red-twig dogwood, this species grows into a many-stemmed, shrubby clump that welcomes spring with small, yellowish white flowers and oval green leaves. White berries emerge in summer, which birds relish and harvest before the leaves drop in fall.

Although an individual plant is attractive, a mass planting makes a dramatic, unusual statement when the stems color up in cold weather. You can set this plant off to best advantage by growing it against a backdrop of evergreen trees or shrubs, or under-planting it with an evergreen ground-cover, such as ivy. It is just the right size for combining with clumps of ornamental grasses. Because it spreads by suckers, or shoots growing up from the roots, red-osier dogwood is also a good choice for controlling erosion on hillsides or stream banks.

For real winter drama, mix the species with cultivars that have different stem colors. 'Flaviramea' has golden yellow stems in winter, while those of 'Kelseyi' are yellow-green tipped in red. All varieties will tolerate shade, but the stem color is much improved when grown in sun. In many varieties, cold temperatures bring out the brightest colors. 'Cardinal', for example, shows striking cherry red stems when grown in Zones 3 to 6; in Zones 7 and 8, the stems are yellow-orange.

To vary the look during the growing season, you can also mix in a variety with colorful foliage. The green leaves of 'White Gold' have broad white margins.

All in the Family

Several other dogwoods also produce colorful stems in winter. Tartarian dogwood (Cornus alba) is similar to red-osier dogwood, though a little slower to spread. The 'Sibirica' and 'Bloodgood' cultivars have red stems that rival those of true red-osiers. This species is hardy to Zone 2. but lacks vigor in warmer zones except in the higher elevations of Zone 7.

Other good choices include the 'Corallina' cultivar of the pagoda dogwood (C. alternifolia) and blood-twig dogwood (C. sanguinea), especially 'Winter Beauty', which has yellow-orange stems tipped in red.

Growing Red-Osier Dogwood

Set out plants in spring so they will be well rooted by winter. Keep the soil slightly moist and mulch with 2 in (5.1 cm) of compost or other organic mulch. Each spring sprinkle a light application of balanced timed-release fertilizer to encourage vigorous new growth and more spectacular stem color the following winter.

While red-osiers can reach 8-10 ft (2.4-3 m) in height, pruning techniques that stimulate colorful new stems will also control plant size. In late winter, either cut the oldest one-third of the stems to ground level annually or cut all of them back to the ground every 3 years. The first method will result in tall, symmetrical shrubs, while the second approach is best when growing red-osier dogwood as a hedge.

Potential problems include powdery mildew and other fungal leaf diseases, but they usually cause only cosmetic damage. Should severe problems develop, prime plants back hard in winter and destroy the primings. Newer varieties often show improved disease resistance. Planting in an airy site and keeping irrigation water off leaves discourages fungal diseases.