Catalog Description
A more compact red twig dogwood that retains all the scarlet coloring of the dormant twigs. Small flat topped clusters of flowers appear in spring and persist well into summer. Purplish drupes follow for high wildlife value. Reddish purple fall color. Tolerates a wide range of soils. Versatile for residential and commercial shrub applications. Deciduous shrub. Full sun. Fast growing to 5 feet tall and as wide. |
Design Ideas
Fast growing filler for shrub borders in damp soils. Add into all landscapes for bright winter color, particularly effective against large open spaces with snow for contrast. Makes a fine hedge of multi-season interest. Plant in wild gardens where they can spread by stolons into large colonies that draws birds in droves. An excellent problem solver for low lying wet ground. |
Companion Plants
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Average Landscape Size
Tight-branching, compact shrub 5 to 6 ft. tall and wide. |
Key Plant Benefits
Tight branching habit creates a dense shrub of deep red stems clothed in leaf-spot resistant foliage. A nice hedge or accent whose showy stems create a striking winter display. Deciduous. |
Care Instructions
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. For a tidy, neat appearance, shear to shape in early spring. |
Growth Conditions
| Heat Zones |
 High:
| 8 (>90 to 120 days) |
| Low: | 1 (< 1 days) |
| Cold Hardiness |
| High: | 8 (10 to 20 F) (see map) |
| Low: | 2 (-50 to -40 F) |
| Water Requirements |
| Water regularly, when top 3 in. of soil is dry. |
| Sun Exposure |
| Full to partial sun |
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Flower or Bloom description:
| Flowering Time/Season |
 | Small white flowers late spring. |
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Propagation
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Attributes
Attractive Bark
Compact Habit
Disease Resistant
Dramatic Foliage Color
Erosion Control
Extremely Hardy
Fall Color
Hedge Plant
Native Plant
Naturalizes Well
Tolerates Wet Soils
Water Garden
Woodland Garden
Year-round Interest |
Foliage
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Plant Lore
Osier is an ancient name for the long whip like growths favored by basket weavers. This indicates that C. sericea was a favored source of basket making material for both Native Americans and colonials. |
Plant History
This plant has been known as red osier dogwood since 1656, and is native to the temperate zone of the United States and Canada. The species sericea has long been interchangeable with C. stolonifera depending on the European source of the nomenclature. This form is simply a more compact version of the species. |
New Plant
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