Cornus alba Sibirica
Red-barked Dogwood
Planted two of these on the hill by the Barn.
Position: full sun to part shade
Soil: any moderately fertile soil
Rate of growth: fast-growing
Flowering period: May and June
Hardiness: fully hardy
This deciduous shrub has oval, dark green leaves and produces small, creamy-white flowers in May and June. But it’s really grown for the bright, coral-red stems that are revealed when the leaves fall. This lovely dogwood looks stunning planted in groups in damp areas of the garden, beside water, or in a winter border. Best in full sun, it works particularly well with orange or purple-stemmed varieties of dogwood.
# Garden care: For best stem colour, cut new growth back hard to within 5-7cm (2-3in) from the ground in March and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant.
