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It is a fungal disease that causes cankers and branch death. (USDA Forest Service)ĭogwood stem canker ( Botryosphaeria dothidea) is the most notorious disease of these shrubs. It is important to dip pruners in a 10% bleach solution when pruning each new shrub to avoid any chance of spreading common diseases. Pruning cuts should be made at a 45-degree angle. Cut old, overgrown branches to about 1-2’ from the ground to keep shrub height in check and encourage new growth. The best twig color comes from younger branches, so it is important to regularly prune redosier dogwood in later winter to early spring. Pruning and Maintenance Cut old, overgrown branches to about 1-2’ from the ground. Irrigate well after planting, and make sure newly planted shrubs stay well irrigated during the summer months. Fill in along the edges, and pack the soil down firmly to ensure good root-to-soil contact. Amend your backfill with Black Gold Garden Soil before planting, and set the shrub in the hole, making sure the root line and soil line are level. When planting a new shrub, dig a hole that is twice the size of the shrub’s root ball. Soil can be moist or well drained, but fertile soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.5 is preferred. Mass plantings have the best winter effect and are great for stabilizing slopes or watersides. Choose a spot where the winter twigs will be most conspicuous-either an open area or against a darkly colored mass of evergreens or a substantial foundation.
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Twig color and growth is best when plants are planted in a sunny to partially sunny location. Planting Cornus sericea Arctic Fire® (Proven Winners) Another variety with handsome variegated foliage is ‘Hedgerows Gold’, which has golden-edged leaves that line deep red branches. The pretty ‘Silver and Gold’ is a variant of ‘Flaviramea’ with attractive variegated leaves edged in silver, in addition to yellow twigs. The best of these is ‘Flaviramea’ (8’), which develops bright yellow to greenish yellow twigs in winter. The dwarf redosier dogwood ‘Kelseyi’ (3’) is the smallest of the red twig forms. The equally compact bloodtwig dogwood, Arctic Sun®, has golden twigs tipped with orange and coral red, as does the slightly taller ‘Midwinter Fire’. The more compact redosier dogwood, Arctic Fire®, is a shorter form (6’) that has equally bright red stems. A comparable cultivar is ‘Cardinal’, which offers good diseases resistance in addition to red twig color. Its brilliant red branches glow in winter, and the dense shrubs reach up to 9’.
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Varieties The yellow twigged Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ has pretty golden twigs in fall.įor brilliant twig color, few redosier dogwoods can beat the classic variety ‘Baileyi’. Many birds feed on the fruits and rely on the dense branching of these shrubs for nesting and shelter. The bloodtwig dogwood also serves as the larval host plant to the less desirable casebearer moth. The flowers are visited by bees and butterflies, but the foliage is also the larval host of the spring azure butterfly, a beautiful blue butterfly found across much of North America. The redosier dogwood has a unique relationship with certain pollinators. Redosier Dogwoods and Wildlife Spring azure butterfly caterpillars feed on redosier dogwood foliage. It performs in the landscape much like redosier dogwood, but its late-season fruits are black rather than white. The bloodtwig dogwood is just as pretty, but it is Eurasian, inhabiting forested regions and wetland margins from northern Europe to western Asia. The younger twigs of wild plants naturally turn shades of red in winter. The bright green leaves turn shades of wine red or maroon in fall. These are followed by whitish, berry-like fruits that appear later in the season. In spring, it produces flat-topped clusters of white flowers. It may exist under the shaded canopy of trees or in open sunny areas. It naturally grows in moist areas or watersides and can even withstand slightly salty soils. Native to much of North America, redosier dogwood is a remarkably hardy, densely branched shrub (6-12’), growing as far north as Alaska where it survives in USDA Hardiness Zones 2-9. About Redosier Dogwoods The fruits of redosier dogwood Their branches also look attractive in seasonal arrangements. There’s no better complement to evergreen and berried landscape shrubs than brilliant red twig dogwoods ( Cornus sericea) and blood twig dogwoods ( Cornus sanguinea). The bloodtwig dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’ has some of the most brilliant branches for winter.įiery branches of gold, orange, and red rise from the winter garden, bringing color to the bleakest landscapes.