Red Osier Dogwood – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Red-Osier Dogwood

BINOMIAL: Cornus sericea aka Cornus stolinifera

Family	Cornaceae
Cdn Native Range	all of Canada
Natural habitat	open wetlands, damp woods, stream banks
Type	woody deciduous shrub
Features	showy stems and berries, fall colour, winter interest
Growth habit	upright, multi-stemmed, suckering shrub
Mature height	3 m (9 ft)
Mature spread	3 m (9 ft)
Life span	20 – 30 years
Cdn Hardiness Zone	2–7
Growing conditions	full sun/part sun, red bark forms best in sun
Soil conditions	wet soil
Watering needs	unnecessary
Fertilizer needs	no supplemental fertilizer necessary
Tolerance	deer, erosion, clay soil, standing water
Maintenance rank	medium
Maintenance needs	coppice to 20 cm (8 in) early spring every 2–3 years to control spread, and to maintain shape and twig colour (best colour appears on youngest growth)
Bloom	small, white, fragrant blooms May and June
Fruit	Late summer berries are smooth and white. Lasting into late fall and winter, they drop late in the season and serve as an important food source for many birds and mammals.
Pollinator support	pollen specialist bees; larval host for summer azure butterfly and too many moth species to list
Environmental support	nectar and pollen source for bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, and also birds and mammals; erosion control
Garden Use	back of informal flower bed/border, accent, naturalized area, slopes, rain gardens
Risks & Cautions	no serious pests or diseases, will spread through suckering

References: Ontario Trees and Shrubs, www.ontariotrees.com; In Our Nature, https://inournature.ca; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfindersearch.aspx