Red-twig dogwoods

Get a blaze of colour in your winter garden with these gorgeous deciduous shrubs

- GRAHAM RICE

THERE are two main kinds of dogwoods (Cornus), and while both are beautiful they are very different. Flowering dogwoods make fine small deciduous trees, with showy pink or white flowers and fiery yellow or crimson autumn leaf colour.

Red-osier or red-twig dogwoods, on the other hand, are deciduous shrubs grown mainly for their bright and brilliant winter twigs that usually come in shades of orange to bright-red to deep-crimson. The twigs can also be yellow, or even almost black, and make a fine winter feature, especially in the snow.

Red-twig dogwoods are easy to look after and are among the toughest shrubs for winter colour in small and large gardens. They can be kept to 3ft (90cm) in height by annual pruning or allowed to mature at any height up to 8ft (2.4m). They are, however, at their most effective when pruned annually and kept manageable.

Autumn berries

If left unpruned, red-twig dogwoods also bring us white spring flowers, followed by clusters of white or black autumn berries. In many varieties, the foliage turns wine-red before falling.

Taking the low temperatures in the coldest parts of Britain in their stride without any special protection, red-twig dogwoods are happy in a variety of soils and situations.

These dogwoods are mainly sold growing in containers, either in garden centres or nurseries, although the widest range is available by mail order.

When to plant

Planting time depends mainly on your first and last frost dates. Autumn and spring are usually the best times, but you should never plant when the ground is frozen.