Mission Statement: To promote the appreciation and conservation of Washington's native plants and their habitats through study, education, and advocacy.
Plant Profile: Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea, a.k.a. Cornus stolonifera)
Why choose red-osier dogwood?
This fast-growing shrub pleases every month of the year. During dark winter days, its red twigs glow under sunny or gray skies. Leafing out, the shrub forms a fresh green backdrop to its own clusters of creamy-white flowers and to other spring-bloomers. Red-osier dogwood will often bloom into late fall, so that you can see it with both flowers and its blue-white berries when the leaves turn yellow or maroon.
What it can do in the garden
Red-osier dogwood forms bird-friendly thickets—watch for flickers and warblers in its branches. Orange sulphur butterflies may be found drinking the flowers' nectar. This shrub loves moist to wet soil and the banks of salmon streams. Its ability to spread underground makes it a great choice for erosion control.
The facts
Red-osier dogwood is a freely spreading deciduous shrub that grows 3 to 18 feet tall. It prefers moist ground and will grow in sun or shade. For best color (fall leaves and winter twigs) plant it in a sunny place. Control overenthusiastic spread and maintain a fine winter show by periodically cutting the shrub to the ground to encourage fresh growth.
Where to see it
Editor's note: I wrote this piece for the Washington Native Plant Society a few years ago, and it appeared in newspapers around the state (for example, here it is in the Spokane Spokesman-Review).
