Cornus sericea 'Cardinal'
Red Twig Redosier Dogwood

Family:

Cornaceae (Dogwood Family) 42

Genus:

Cornus (Dogwood) 42

Plant Type:

Shrub 491

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 2 45

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 807

Flowers:

White (Off-white clusters of flowers )

Foliage:

Green (Dark green summer foliage); Red-Violet (Variable red to purple fall color)

Stem:

Red stems

Fruit:

White (Round, milky-white berries in August)

Ultimate Height:

6-9 feet

Ultimate Spread:

8-12 feet

Light Requirements:

Soil:

Prefers well-drained, moist, loamy soils, but tolerates clay and wet soils

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves (2-5" long and 1-1.5" wide) opposite, simple, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, usually rounded at base, dark green above and somewhat glaucous beneath. Dogwood veins sweep toward, but never contact, the leaf margin. Stems are red all year long. Difficult to separate Cornus alba and Cornus sericea in winter.

Special Characteristics:

Pest and/or Disease Resistant 98

Wet Soil Tolerant 105

Additional Information

The Cardinal Red Twig Dogwood has attractive, strongly red stems, providing winter interest to the landscape. It is a larger variant that has better resistance to leaf spot than other cultivars. Grows well in a variety of situations, including wet soil. Easy to transplant. Relatively trouble-free. A three-year pruning cycle improves form, vigor, and winter stem color effect. Cutting all stems 6-12" from ground in late winter has similar effect. Best in mass plantings. Excellent for winter color. Stem color tends to fade in warmer zones.