The illustrated growing guide
Redtwig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Family Cornaceae
Est. zones 3-8
The plant that makes winter worth looking at — a thicket of fire-red (or gold) stems glowing against snow. Native, wet-tolerant, bird-feeding, erosion-fighting. The one job: cut a third of the old canes yearly, because only young stems blaze.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Cornus sericea. The closest we have is Cornus florida (“Dogwood”) in the Autumn Foliage collection — the same genus, Cornus, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will redtwig dogwood suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what redtwig dogwood actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Redtwig Dogwood at a glance
Common redtwig dogwood problems
- Almost none
- Leaf Spot
- Canker (cut out)
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow redtwig dogwood: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate redtwig dogwood
III
The year
What redtwig dogwood asks for, month by month.
The redtwig dogwood year, month by month
BloomPruneHarvestWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
- Harvest — picking time — check ripeness every few days.
The redtwig dogwood year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb pruning
- Mar pruning
- Apr quiet month
- May bloom
- Jun bloom
- Jul quiet month
- Aug harvest
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Redtwig Dogwood in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
- Nectary/insectary
What redtwig dogwood is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesMildly toxic raw berries (birds fine)
Harvesting & storing redtwig dogwood
White berries feed birds late summer.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of redtwig dogwood, ruled as a catalogue.
Best redtwig dogwood varieties & cultivars
'Baileyi' (red); 'Cardinal' (fire-red); 'Flaviramea' (yellow-twig); 'Arctic Fire' (compact)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to redtwig dogwoodyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Redtwig Dogwood questions, answered straight.
Is redtwig dogwood safe for kids and pets?
With care. Mildly toxic raw berries (birds fine) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest redtwig dogwood?
White berries feed birds late summer.
How do you propagate redtwig dogwood?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
IX
Elsewhere
Where redtwig dogwood sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia