Red twig dogwood
Cornus sericea L.
Also called red twig dogwood, red osier dogwood. Synonyms: Cornus stolonifera.
Multi-stemmed native shrub grown for bright red winter stems. Thrives in wet soils and stabilizes stream banks.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 1.8–2.7 m (6–9 ft) tall and 2.4–3 m (8–10 ft) wide; fast growth, about 4 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #3 install size.
Bloom
White flowers, May–Jun (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red twig dogwood : May–Jun |
Design notes
- Stem colour is brightest on young wood — remove a third of the oldest stems each late winter.
- Leaf spot and canker are common in hot, humid summers; it is best in the North.
Regions
Native range: Northern and western North America, south in the mountains to Arizona and New Mexico.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Red twig dogwood
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.