Best dogwoods for stem colour
We would like to make a grove of coloured stem dogwoods. Does anyone have recommendations?
Midwinter fire is on the list, as is sibirica for red stems. Anyone got any suggestions for others with good colour stems to add to our list?
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I have reservations about Midwinter Fire. It's a stunning colour but it's not robust like some of them. I get bits of die back at the ends of stems and the spring leaf colour is uninspiring. Maybe it's my soil and not the fault of the shrub though.
I wouldn't choose by name, I'd go to a nursery that stocks them and choose by colour
If you are making a group of them, I would go for a mixture of red, black and yellow stemmed, although I would have midwinter fire as I think it is probably the prettiest, but as Nutcutlet says not as strong as the others. Mine does ok, but it is in very damp soil, which is I think its ideal conditions.
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My Midwinter Fire is happy as Larry. So happy in fact that two have become more than 12 as the perishers sucker and spread. I dug one up to move it to a more visible spot and the next year a dozen new shrubs had grown in the original spot.
As said, it isn't as robust as the bright red alba sibirica forms so I thin, rather than stool it to keep the fresh stem colour going. The bright red alba sibirica also suckers but not as badly and can be cut back hard every year to maintain a reasonable size and renew stem colour. Looks stunning even on dull days.
I have the green stemmed one - http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=2524 - and it looks great in low winter sun as does - http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=531 - the one with mahogany stems and variegated leaves which give added interest through summer..
There is also a purple form - http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5352 - which is on my wish list.
Many thanks for your suggestions - will check out the links Obelixx. Might also take Nut's advice and do another winter wander around Wisley to see them in the flesh (I'm not aware of any nurseries round here that do dogwoods).
Easy to propagate from hardwood cuttings if you know someone with some nice coloured stem types.
If mine don't layer themselves I peg down a stem or two
I have the red stemed one really like that and thanks to someones help on here have got more plants from the plant as they got cut to near ground level I put them in a bucket of water and left them they rooted nicely left in a bucket of water so will do that again.
Also have Midwinter fire one plant in front garden had to be moved a little as it was not likeing the spot has also got bit on the top of the plant not doing well better now it has been moved
Would like some of the yellow plant, looks nice and bright and I like yellow
Dogwood is great plant - colour for winter and also look nice when in leaf.
Think it is a pop to the GC when stems are bright this time of year to pick out your plants
There was a nice display of dogwoods at the GC today. Just described as mixed dogwoods. A good red and yellow, but one was so dark green it was almost black. I would have picked the red and yellow one for winter colour.
oooh obelixx those look fabulous!