Red Twig Dogwood Care Tips: How to Grow Red Twig Dogwood

Red twig dogwood is the common name of Cornus sericea, a deciduous shrub. It can thrive in USDA hardiness zones three through eight, provided that it grows in sufficiently moist soil. Gardeners prize the red twig dogwood for its vibrant winter colors—its red branches stand out in a snowscape—but it also provides beautiful year-round colors thanks to its green leaves, white flowers, and white berries.

The red dogwood shrub comes in multiple species and varieties.

1. 1. Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea): Red osier dogwood is a type of red twig dogwood native to North America.
2. 2. American dogwood (Cornus stolonifera): Also called the redstem dogwood, this plant often appears along riverbanks where it helps with erosion control. It flourishes in USDA hardiness zones five through ten.
3. 3. Tatarian dogwood (Cornus alba): This variant of red twig dogwood grows natively in Asia.
4. 4. Bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea): Bloodtwig dogwood is a type of red twig dogwood native to Europe.
5. 5. Yellow twig dogwood (Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'): This cultivar of the red twig dogwood produces yellow stems instead of red ones.

It’s worth noting that the red willow tree (Salix laevigata) is not a dogwood tree or shrub, but it nonetheless produces reddish stems, which has led some landscapers to group it with the red twig dogwood.

Red twig dogwoods are hardy plants that produce vibrant colors from early spring through late summer, provided that they are planted in the right spot and cared for properly.

1. 1. Hardiness: The typical red twig dogwood does well in USDA zones three through eight. Some cultivars, like the yellow twig dogwood, can even survive in USDA zone two.
2. 2. Soil: The red twig dogwood needs moist soil. It can tolerate large amounts of water around its roots, which makes it a good choice for rain gardens.
3. 3. Sunlight: This plant type can survive in anything from partial shade to full sun. Note, however, that red twig dogwoods produce their best colors when grown in bright sunshine. Plants grown in part shade will have slightly more muted coloration.
4. 4. Water: The red twig dogwood needs constant moisture and naturally grows along riverbeds. Water new plants weekly, unless your region is already getting ample precipitation. As plants mature and spread their roots, they can survive without weekly watering.
5. 5. Pruning: Prune your red twig dogwood in late winter just before the growing season begins in early spring. Some gardeners prune their dogwoods every three years, at which point they cut off about one-third of the oldest stems. Others prune annually and take away fewer stems when they do so. Pruning promotes new growth and can extend the colors of the remaining stems. By pruning your red twig dogwood, you give yourself a better chance of seeing brilliant fall colors.
6. 6. Propagating: You can propagate new plants from existing red twig dogwood shrubs. To do so, take a six-to-nine-inch cutting that has buds near either of its ends. Remove any side branches and place the bottom of the stem in water. After many months (sometimes even a full year), new roots will appear in the water, and you can plant the stem as a new sapling. Adding a rooting agent to the freshly cut stem can speed up the process.
7. 7. Fertilizing: Fertilize your red twig dogwood in early spring. Fertilizing can lead to more productive bloom times, and it helps the plant spread by the process of suckering. In most cases, the plant will not need fertilizer at other times of the year.

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