plant of the week Red Twig Dogwood

Last week I wrote about a newer variety of dogwood that is now available to us. Since I have received so much interest in the Evergreen Dogwood, I thought I would feature the red twig this week to stay with that theme. While the Red Twig Dogwood is a shrub instead of a tree, it deserves just as much attention. This is a wonderful accent to the landscape and can really give you a lot of impact year round. The best impact from this plant is going to occur in the winter after the leaves have dropped. Yes, thats what I said. This plant has the most striking red branches that add a much need contrast to the winter garden. While the stems are one of the main reasons this plant is chosen, it also has wonderful dogwood white flowers in the spring followed by berries that attract birds. If that isn't enough of a reason to choose this plant, how about the fact that it loves moist sites. If you have an area that things just wont grow due to the amount of water, this might be just what you are looking for. They will tolerate some shade making them a wonderful addition to a woodland garden. They also would work well if you have an area that is prone to erosion due to their large root system.

The Red Twig Dogwood looks best when mass planted and should be planted as a focal point. This plant can stand alone of stand out in large bed. There are a few varieties with growth to 10' so they fit in just about anywhere in the landscape. The Red Twigs do benefit from pruning to encourage the new bright red growth. Aside from some pruning and shaping they are relatively low maintenance shrubs. I believe they look best when the top of the branches are pruned to the same height giving a hedge type appearance.

Look for the the varieties Cornus Sericea Bailey for heights to 10' and Kelseyi for a lower compact growth to 3-4'. If red isn't quite your color, try Flaviramea for yellow twigs and heights to 10'. All of these make great lower maintenance additions that will really set your landscape apart from the neighborhood.