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Because of its loose form, red twig dogwood looks best when planted in groups or as an informal hedge. Hardy to zones 3 – 8, the shrub prefers full sun for best color but can tolerate part shade. It also thrives in organically rich, medium to wet soil and can even tolerate swampy or boggy conditions.
Where is the best place to plant a dogwood bush?
Choose a site for your dogwoods that is well-drained but does not get extremely dry. Soil high in organic matter is best. Dogwoods can be planted in full sun or partial shade, though partial shade is best (morning sun in particular). Dogwoods are typically an understory tree in the wild.
When should I plant red twig dogwood?
Dogwood shrubs are normally planted as nursery-grown container plants or ball-and-burlap specimens in the fall or in the early spring. While many dogwoods are rather slow-growing plants, red twig dogwoods are among the faster-growing types. You can expect the plants to add at least 2 feet of growth each year.
Can red twig dogwood grow in shade?
Red twig dogwoods will perform best in full sun, though they will tolerate partial shade. From my experience, the more shade a red twig dogwood is grown in, the more slowly it will grow and more sparse and spindly its growth will be.
What grows well with red twig dogwood?
For red twig dogwood plantings in partial shade, combine the shrubs with perennials such as primrose (Primula spp. ), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis, USDA zones 3-9), golden creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ USDA zones 3-9) or astilbe (Astilbe spp. and hybrids).
How do you use the red twig dogwood in the landscape?
My favorite design using red-twig dogwood is to place several good-sized rocks or boulders around the shrub’s base and plant winter bulbs in the gaps between the shrub and the rocks.
What does red twig dogwood look like in summer?
Red twig dogwood grows as clump that can become up to 10 feet in diameter, expanding gradually by producing root suckers. The plant flowers in summer with small clusters of fragrant white flowers, followed by bluish-white berries that attract birds.
Can you grow red twig dogwood in a container?
While bright red dogwood twigs are often used as accents in winter arrangements, the fast growing shrub can be used as a feature in containers as well. During the summer it boasts light green leaves with attractive white margins. Exposure to full sun will encourage the brightest colors in a red twig dogwood.
Does a red twig dogwood bloom?
The shrub produces creamy-white flowers in spring and berries that ripen from green to white by fall. But it’s the stems of the red twig dogwood that are so popular; they start out green in spring and summer, then turn bright red as their foliage drops off in autumn.
Do deer eat red twig dogwood bushes?
Additionally, the Red Twig Dogwood is deer resistant. This in itself makes for a great contender to our “plants we love” list, due to the fact that we know so many gardeners and landscapes that are frequented by many deer.
Do birds like red twig dogwood?
Red Twig Dogwood doesn’t just appeal to humans. Birds and small mammals love the berries and the leaves alone provide for over 100 species of butterflies and moths.
Is red twig dogwood poisonous to dogs?
There are no species of dogwood trees or shrubs (Cornus spp.) that have been reported to be toxic to dogs.
Does red twig dogwood grow in Florida?
florida). It is a shrub native to North America where it grows in wet marshy areas such as the banks of lakes and streams. Growing 6 to 9 feet tall and spreading 8 to 12 feet, it is a multi-stemmed shrub which spreads by suckering.
Do red twig dogwoods like wet soil?
Also called red twig dogwood, this shrub has four seasons of interest. Shrub dogwoods prefer moist soils and they can tolerate standing water, seasonal flooding and clay soils.
What should I plant in front of dogwood?
Choose woodland-origin, shallow-rooted spring-blooming perennials, like cranesbill (Geranium maculatum), sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), dead nettle (Lamium maculatum) and astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii), rather than more aggressive woody shrubs to add more flowers when your dogwood is in bloom.
How far apart do you plant red twig dogwood?
Spacing: 2 – 3 feet. Depth:Soak roots 2 – 6 hours before planting.
Does red twig dogwood have deep roots?
It is also drought tolerant, but not for long periods of time. The woody root system of this dogwood is branching and shallow, and loves to sucker.
How fast do red twig dogwood bushes grow?
This shrub grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24″ per year.
What eats red twig dogwood?
Dogwood Sawfly Damage Dogwood sawflies feed on the leaves of several shrubby dogwood species including gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa), blood-twig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) and red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea). The larvae have chewing mouthparts that create sizable holes in leaves.
What is the best time of year to plant dogwood trees?
The best time to plant white dogwoods is in the spring, when the soil is moist and before the tree growth begins. Choose a planting site that receives dappled shade. Pull any weeds and clear away any debris and turfgrass. Dig a hole that is roughly ⅔ the depth of the root ball.
Can you cut dogwood to the ground?
Old red- and yellow-twig dogwood stems develop mature bark that loses the signature colors. Prune out as many of the large stems to ground level as you can. You may need to cut back the young growth if it is spindly. If there are not any young stems present, cut the large stems back to 18 to 24 inches from the ground.
