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 winter regions. Also spelled Redosier, it 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 pollinators gathering nectar from the white, flat-topped clusters of tiny 4-petalled blooms in early spring.

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! Exceptionally cold-hardy throughout USDA growing zones 2 to 8 and quickly growing into a lovely form!

Planting and Application:

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 a dense branching structure, it ensures screening even in winter!

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 with how quickly it fills in to create a restful, living wall of green for your summertime activities!

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

Create a solid mass planting along an embankment or slope to stop soil erosion. Keep your planting tidy with weeding and judicious pruning for a look you'll be proud of for many years! Appreciating the moist soil of Rain Gardens and the base of where gutters drain, Dogwood appreciates the extra moisture these areas provide!

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. 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. In fact, they look best when left to grow as an unpruned, informal natural form, allowing you and your garden visitors to enjoy the flowers and fruit.

• Native to North America With Four Seasons Display
• Pretty White Flower Heads in Spring
• Dark Green Leaves & Purple Fall Color
• Bright Red Young Stems in Fall and Winter
• Butterfly Magnet & Songbirds Love the White Berries in Fall
• Cut Stems are Wonderful for Holiday & Seasonal Decorations
• Fast Growing Screening Plant in Summer, Specimens & Accents

#ProPlantTips for Care:

The Red Osier Dogwood is a free-spreading shrub with many upright stems and creates naturalized thickets when allowed. 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 stem color in full sun. It's native to streams and creeks in wooded areas, so it adapted to wet soil conditions as long as 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, or renewal prune by removing 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.

• Best in Full Sun & Partial Shade
• Appreciates Well-Drained Soil
• Thrives in Average to Moist Conditions
• Prune Late Winter/Eary Spring
• Easy to Grow and Maintain
• Easy Care, Few Pest & Disease Concerns

This admirable native shrub has unique ornamental qualities. Red Osier Dogwood is a magnificent choice for visual interest in your landscape year-round. Add Red Osier to your shrub border or as a specimen plant. Why not gift yourself a gorgeous winter garden? Order today at Nature Hills!

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does Red Osier Dogwood grow?

The Red Osier Dogwood shrub is a fast-growth rate and can add about a foot or so of new growth each growing season.

How big does Red Osier Dogwood get?

The Red Osier Dogwood can reach 8 - 12 feet in height and a bit slimmer in width in optimal conditions.

Is Red Osier Dogwood fragrant?

Red Osier Dogwood flowers are sweetly fragrant.

Will Red Osier Dogwood grow in full sun?

The Red Osier Dogwood grows in full sun and partial shade, but has the most blooms and the best stem color.

Are Dogwood shrubs good for wildlife?

The Dogwood Shrub is a fantastic wildlife shrub and it's a pollinator-friendly native that feeds birds with its fruit and is even a caterpillar host plant.

What Shipping Options Do You Offer?

NatureHills.com works closely with our growers and nursery professionals to ensure we ship when it is most appropriate for your area. Our goal is to deliver the hardiest plants by avoiding extreme high and low temperatures. Check out our shipping schedule for more information and to learn our wills and won'ts when it comes to shipping plants. Find your Dogwood Shrubs for sale here at NatureHills.com!