This Week It's Dogwoods

Bold-stemmed cornus are winter stunners, but which ones top Graham’s list?

- Graham Rice

SOME gardeners simply glaze over when I suggest growing plants purely for their winter twigs. But then, when they actually see the plants in all their glory, their eyes light up and they wonder why they never grew them before.

The plants I am referring to are shrubs whose bare winter twigs are revealed in bright and attractive colours once their leaves fall in autumn. Chief among them are the dogwoods, cornus, whose winter colour comes in many shades of red, orange, yellow and even green. New growth made in spring and summer displays the best colour in winter.