Cardinal Red Osier Dogwood

Brilliant Winter Color

Cardinal Red Osier Dogwood is a deciduous shrub with ornamental stems.  It’s a unique and versatile plant that would look great in many locations.

Plant a few along your property line for an awesome border.  Use one as a specimen planting anywhere you’d like a splash of brilliant color amid the drab hues of your winter yard.   

Your Cardinal Red Dogwood’s outstanding feature is its bright red, winter twig color which will present a stunning contrast to your white winter snows. A bonus to its spectacular winter interest is the tiny white flowers that appear in flat-topped clusters in late spring.

The flowers give way to creamy white fruit in late summer that is very attractive to birds, and generally considered to have as much, if not more ornamental interest than the flowers.

As if that’s not enough, yet another bonus will be evident in the fall when your Cardinal Red Dogwood’s dark green leaves turn an attractive red-purple.

Cardinal Red Dogwood grows to about 10 feet high with and equal spread.  It is widely adaptable to soil and moisture variations and will even do well in swampy or boggy conditions.  Its rounded form will present a pretty picture in your landscape, even without its added features.

The Cardinal Red Dogwood is a hybrid Dogwood that was developed by the University of Minnesota in 1986. It was an NC-7 Trials top-performing plant and received the 2004 Plant of Merit. 

Once you have one growing in your yard, you’ll understand why this plant is an award winner.

* Outstanding winter color
* 4-season interest
* Wildlife interest
* Adaptable
* Loves wet soil