The Wild Garden: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Cornus sericea ssp. stolonifera (Red-Osier Dogwood)

Kingdom	:	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	:	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	:	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	:	Rosidae
Order	:	Cornales
Family	:	Cornaceae – Dogwood family
Genus	:	Cornus L. – dogwood
Species	:	Cornus sericea L. – redosier dogwood
Subspecies	:	Cornus sericea L. ssp. sericea – redosier dogwood

Note: Throughout the years I've written short articles for our website's home pages (home pages are the front page of a website) about these plants. They are now included at the bottom of this page, and are illustrated by botanical drawings and paintings, some of which are from books published from 1500 - 1900.

An ideal deciduous shrub, Red-Osier Dogwood is both attractive and useful.

Forming many stems, it grows rapidly in sun or shade to 15,’ (it can be sheared).

The leaves are opposite and have deep, distinct veins, turning a spectacular crimson in fall.

When the leaves fall, they reveal the red, showy twigs, stunning against a backdrop of snow.

Flat topped clusters white flowers form in spring followed by blue-white berries.

Red Osier Dogwood is found across North America, in USDA zones 5-10.

This plant is invaluable in rehabilitation as it spreads by runners to hold soil, slow water flow and increase sedimentation.

Wildlife and pollinating insects rely on this shrub for food.

From Homepage January 13, 2006

Rain, rain, and more rain. It is definitely not planting weather here in Oregon's Willamette Valley. While we normally have quite a bit of rainfall during the fall and winter, this year nature has really blessed us with an overabundance of water falling from the sky.

One northwest native plant that has no problem with this much rain is the Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea [stolonifera]). It's delightful colorful stems are a boon to the winter garden.

Unless you've protected an area to keep it dry, we do not recommend planting right now until the ground has a chance to drain away the excess water. Instead, take this time for a little armchair gardening!

From Homepage October 26, 2008

This northwest native shrub is a favorite of gardeners here in Oregon as well as other parts of the world.

An ideal deciduous shrub, Red-Osier Dogwood is both attractive and useful. Forming many stems, it grows rapidly in sun or shade to 15,’ (it can be sheared).

The leaves are opposite and have deep, distinct veins, turning a spectacular crimson in fall. When the leaves fall, they reveal the red, showy twigs, stunning against a backdrop of snow.

Flat topped clusters white flowers form in spring followed by blue-white berries.

Red Osier Dogwood is found across North America, in USDA zones 5-10. This plant is invaluable in rehabilitation as it spreads by runners to hold soil, slow water flow and increase sedimentation.

Wildlife and pollinating insects rely on this shrub for food.

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