Tatarian Dogwood Cornus sericea

Red osier dogwood is a large deciduous shrub in the Cornaceae (dogwood) family native to North America including North Carolina.  It is typically found growing in damp boggy areas, riparian areas, or wetland margins.  The common name indicates the bright red color of the stems that resemble those of the osier willow.  The genus Cornus is from the Latin name for horn.   Sericea is Latin for silky and is in reference to fine hairs found on the tops of leaves and lining new twigs.  

The suckering multistemmed shrub grows to a height and width of 6 to 9 feet.   White flowers appear in the early summer that is followed by white berries that last into the fall and are a food source for songbirds.  The leaves turn attractive shades of orange or red fading to purple in the fall and when that drop the showy bright red stems make this plant have true year-round interest.  

While it tolerates a range of soil conditions, including wet and dry sites and heavy clay soil, it prefers organically rich, consistently moist soil.  Plant it in full sun to partial shade though plants can become stressed in full sun during our hot southern summers.    Its showy red stems provide great winter interest.  The brightest color occurs on new stem growth so prune the plant back in early spring to stimulate more growth.  It grows vigorously and spreads by underground stems to form a colony that can become weedy in some areas, though its spreading roots can help mitigate erosion.   If its spread is undesirable root prune it with a spade.

This wildlife plant is a larval host for butterflies as well as supports bees and birds so it makes an excellent addition to a pollinator garden. They work well as a specimen or massed in a shrub border, or used in front of an evergreen hedge for contrast.  Tolerating wet areas allow it to be planted in low spots in the landscape.  Use them to form a hedge or thicket and provide screening or security.   This plant is seldom browsed by deer.

Seasons of interest:  Foliage:  Fall              Bloom:  Spring            Fruit:  Late Summer and Fall            Bark, Twigs, and Stems:  Winter

Quick ID Hints:

• vibrant red stems and twigs are very conspicuous in the winter months
• dense clusters of flat-topped creamy-white flowers in the mid to late spring
• bluish tinged white berries in the late summer and early fall
• fall foliage reddish-purple

Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: Borers, leaf miners, and scale are potential insect pests. When stressed, it is susceptible to a large number of disease problems, the most serious being dogwood anthracnose. Other diseases include powdery mildew, leaf spot, canker, root rot, and leaf and twig blight. 

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.