Dogwood
Cornus sanguinea · Cornaceae
📷 Sten Porse · CC BY-SA 3.0
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around dogwood and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Flowering
- May to June, white flowers in umbels
- Adult size
- Up to 4 m in height
- Growth
- Moderate to fast
- Hardiness
- Very hardy, down to -20 °C
- Origin
- Temperate Europe and Asia
- Soil type
- Adaptable, prefers fresh and well-drained soils
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability high.
Expert tips
The key tip
Red-barked Dogwood displays vibrant red wood only if heavily coppiced in late February-March each year: this produces young, brightly colored stems.
The common mistake
Skipping winter pruning or doing a light trim leaves it pale green and ornamentally uninteresting.
The pro's trick
Coppice hard every year: cut everything back to 30-50 cm from ground level in February, and you'll get 1.5-2 m of bright red young shoots by autumn.
Care
Exposure
Bloodtwig dogwood thrives in full sun for beautiful flowering and optimal winter coloration of the stems. It also tolerates partial shade, although the red color of the twigs will be less intense. Avoid overly shaded areas to maintain its vitality.
Watering
Water regularly during the first two years to encourage root establishment. Once established, bloodtwig dogwood tolerates moderate drought well but prefers soil that remains fresh. During prolonged summer periods, weekly watering keeps the foliage in optimal condition.
Pruning and cutting
Prune lightly after flowering to maintain a harmonious shape. To rejuvenate old specimens and intensify the red coloration of young winter shoots, carry out heavy pruning in late winter (February-March). Remove dead or crossing branches as needed.
Soil
Bloodtwig dogwood adapts to most soils but prefers fresh, slightly moist and well-drained terrain. Enrich the planting soil with compost or potting mix. It also tolerates chalky and slightly acidic soils without difficulty.
Fertilizer
Moderate fertilizer application is generally unnecessary if the soil is fertile. In spring, you can apply a balanced amendment or compost on the surface to support growth. Avoid excess nitrogen, which would reduce winter coloration.
Diseases and pests
Bloodtwig dogwood is generally very robust. Monitor young plants for aphids in spring. In very humid conditions, leaf spots may appear but remain harmless. Good air circulation and thinning pruning are usually sufficient to prevent problems.
Did you know?
Bloodtwig dogwood gets its scientific name 'sanguinea' from the blood-red color of its stems in winter, particularly spectacular after winter pruning. In Europe, this hardy shrub long served to create defensive hedges and remains a valuable ally for structuring natural gardens thanks to its ecological value: its small black berries feed migratory birds in autumn.
Where to buy it
Best planted in autumn so the roots settle in before summer, or in early spring once the frost has passed. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: March, October, November.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Cornelian cherryCornus mas
- Red-osier dogwoodCornus sericea
- Giant dogwoodCornus controversa
- Kousa dogwoodCornus kousa
- Japanese cornelian cherryCornus officinalis
- Hong Kong dogwoodCornus hongkongensis
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.