PlantsShrubs & Vines

Red-Osier Dogwood

Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus alba)
AnRo0002 · CC0
Red-Osier Dogwood in flower
In flower · (c) Fyodor Pudovikov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Cornus alba

Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.

Red-stemmed wet-soil shrub

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Light
Full sun–part shade
Moisture
Moist–wet
Mature size
6–10 ft
Spacing
6–10 ft
Bloom or harvest
Flowers May–Jun; white fruit late summer
How it spreads
Strong suckering
What to buy
Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
When to plant
Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.

In the design

Provide mature width; prune for access and renewal rather than forcing it into a small space.

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Reference details
Conservatism value
5
Wetland indicator
FACW