Cornus ( or Dog Wood) Simple Stunning Winter Stems

Beautiful winter stems. No flowers required for colour here. These are cornus (or Dog Wood) interesting name as it was Dagger Wood as daggers were made from it and somewhere along the way it became mispronounced.

Look at the vibrant colour and amazing contrast you get from the dark red Cornus alba 'Elegantisum' and 'Sibirica' against the lime green Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea and deep orange 'Midwinter Fire' or 'Winter Beauty'.

They are brilliant shrubs. Nice and leafy through the summer and then stunning stems in the winter. They are not fussy about soil and position. If you want them to be their best copice them after you have enjoyed the winter colour before March and the new shoots that grow fast. If not tip prune and the top new shoots will be the most colourful by winter. You cant go wrong with cornus. They are almost once established impossible to kill however hard you prune. They usually sit in the border about 4-5ft comfortably but you can keep them lower.

I have a garden full of these and I think they are great one of the few shrubs when it was a new garden 20 years ago our 4 border collies, multiple geese. horses and children that roamed the estate couldn't demolish!