Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ (Bloodtwig Dogwood)

Noted for its colorful stems and twigs in winter, Bloodtwig Dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’ (Cornus sanguinea) is a hard plant to beat for a colorful show in the winter garden. It features spectacular decorative features: golden fall foliage followed by branches and stems that start yellow at the base of the plant and gradually turn bright orange to crimson towards the tip of the plant.

• Fragrant tiny white flowers appear in late spring that will attract butterflies. They will give way to clusters of dark purple berries in summer that attract birds.
• Growing up to 5-6 ft. high and across (150-180 cm), this Bloodtwig Dogwood is a multi-stemmed, suckering, deciduous shrub with beautiful elliptic to ovate leaves.
• Winner of the Gold Medal Award of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
• Cornus sanguinea performs best in full sun to part shade, in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. It is not fussy about soils, provided they are kept evenly moist and well-drained.
• Easy to grow and care for, it is also deer-resistant.
• Cornus sanguinea looks spectacular when massed in shrub borders or as an informal hedge or privacy screen. Combine it with dark green or blue conifers to provide contrast and with Asters or Sedums for a great fall color show.
• Dogwoods are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases.
• While pruning is not required, it should be noted that the best winter stem color appears on new growth. For the best display, cut the stems flush to the ground every 2-3 years in early spring, just as the leaf buds start to swell. This radical pruning, however, means that you will have a bare spot in the garden for a few weeks and miss the creamy-white flowers or attractive berries since they only form on second-year growth. Alternatively, if severe pruning seems too onerous, one-quarter or one-third of the oldest stems could be pruned in early spring each year to stimulate the growth of new stems.
• Cornus sanguinea is a dogwood species native to most of Europe and western Asia. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant, whose available cultivars have been selected for their winter glowing colors.