Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Plant Profile: Redtwig Dogwood

If you are looking for a way to add drama and color to your winter landscape, think about the Redtwig Dogwood family also known as redosier dogwood. This shrub blends in with the rest of your garden during the growing season, but it puts on a real show when the leaves drop off and the cold temperatures settle in. At that point, the bark color starts to brighten and becomes quite striking amongst the grays and browns of winter.

Redtwig Dogwood, (Cornus sericea, formerly known as Cornus stolonifera) is native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada. While the “redtwig” name makes it sound like a one-hit-wonder, this shrub has varieties in a range of high notes from bright yellow to orange to burgundy. Popular cultivars include ‘‘Cardinal’ and ‘Arctic Fire’.

This is one tough plant. It grows from Zones 2–7 and tolerates clay soils well. Put it in full or part-sun.

Redtwig Dogwood benefits from an annual renewal pruning. The best coloration is on the youngest growth. That means you can cut back up to a third of the older stems all the way down to the ground each winter. All those cut stems you collect can be used for flower arranging and for holiday decorations. They look especially good stuck in outdoor containers and contrasted with evergreens.

The Asian relatives of Redtwig Dogwood are the Tatarian dogwoods (Cornus alba). They are native to Siberia, northern China, and Korea, but grow well in our Mid-Atlantic gardens. There is also a European relative, the blood twig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) that is very lovely and you will find stunning cultivars like ‘Arctic Sun’ and ‘Winter Flame’ widely available at local garden centers.

Read more about Redtwig Dogwoods in the Winter 2009-10 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

Redtwig Dogwoods - You Can Grow That!

Filmed at the U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, DC.
Additional photos courtesy of Proven Winners

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Visuals by Nicole Noechel
Audio by Kathy Jentz

 

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