Red Osier Dogwood

For a fantastic four season display that truly shines in winter, try the special native plant, Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea, formally Cornus stolonifera). This deciduous shrub features an upright form and carefree ease of maintenance. Young stems turn brilliant red starting in fall and bring a tremendous amount of winter interest.

Also known as the Redosier Dogwood and Red Twig Dogwood, it's a solid choice for use in landscapes across a large part of the United States. Native to North America, Red Osier delivers a welcome splash of vibrant red color throughout the dull winter months.

Hardy in some of the more extreme climates, the beautiful red stem of this variety seems to be at its best in the coldest of fall and winters regions. Redosier is a real standout in the barren winter landscape.

It looks great all year-long. From the magnificent winter color display, you'll be thrilled to see local butterflies gathering nectar from the white, flat-topped clusters of tiny 4-petalled blooms in early spring.

With attractive, light green foliage, this plant is a perfect backdrop plant for the spring and summer garden. It grows fast and doesn't require much care. You'll be pleased how quickly it fills in to create a restful, living wall of green for your summertime activities.

Fall color deepens into burgundy purple. The flowers have developed into pretty berry-like drupes that start off purple when young and gradually turn into pure white berries. They are attractive, but you have to look fast, or hungry local songbirds will have snapped them all up!

It's after leaf drop in autumn that the electric red stems are revealed. The color remains all winter and contrasts beautifully against the winter snow.

Add Red Osier to your shrub border or as a specimen plant. Why not gift yourself a gorgeous Winter Garden? Order today!

How to Use Red Osier Dogwood in the Landscape

This desirable shrub can be used in many garden applications.

Red Osier Dogwood makes a fantastic privacy screen along the edge of your property or patio. It grows fast to easily extend the height of your hardscaped fence. With dense branching structure, it ensures screening even in winter.

Create a solid screen by planting 5 feet apart on center. You'll measure from the center of one to the center of the next.

Use a single specimen at the corner of your foundation planting as an eye-catching bright pop of winter color. The overall look of this upright plant in winter is quite formal.

Try a long hedge in a side yard, or along the garage. It can be used anywhere you have the room and want an easy care solution that works hard all year-long.

This versatile plant can adapt to a considerable amount of shade as well. For that reason, it is often used in wooded areas for erosion control, though the best flowering and red winter stem color is achieved when grown in full sun.

#ProPlantTips for Care

The Red Osier Dogwood is a free-spreading shrub with many upright stems. It is adaptable to both wet and dry sites as well as a variety of soil types. It's even shade tolerant, although you'll have the brightest color in full sun.

It's native to streams and creeks in wooded areas, so it adapted to wet soil conditions as long is the drainage is good. If poor drainage is suspected, mound up soil to 18 above your native soil and plant in that mound. You can also plant in a raised bed.

It will tolerate some drought once the root system is established. Mulch with a layer 3 to 4 inches deep to 3 feet outside of the canopy to ensure the root stays cool in the hot summer. Increase water during dry extreme heat.

For the best winter color, give your Red Osier Dogwood regular pruning. In late fall, remove several of the thickest, oldest stems right down to the ground. You'll want to use the cuttings in large arrangements and outdoor containers for the Holidays!

Leave the young, thin stems standing as they'll have the brightest color for you. If you stay on top of this easy task, you'll be amazed at your annual winter display.

This admirable native shrub has unique ornamental qualities. Red Osier Dogwood is a magnificent choice for visual interest in your landscape year-round. Order yours today!