Cornus alba seed
LATIN NAME: CORNUS ALBA
COMMON NAME: Tatarian Dogwood
In the wet thickets and the river banks of the cold north, the Tatarian dogwood grows as a vigorous, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with the oval, pointed leaves and the flat heads of small, white flowers in the early summer, the clusters of small, white or blue-tinged berries following, and the young stems turning a brilliant coral-red through the winter. It spreads quickly by the suckering roots into a dense thicket, and it stands the bitterest cold and the wet, rich soils well. Give it full sun and deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Tatarian dogwood appears in the studies of the wetland shrubs of the north, its coral-red stems and its white berries keeping it in view in the work on the winter-stem shrubs of the cold garden and the stream-bank stabilisers of the region. The research looks at the way the young stems redden through the winter, the white berries feed the birds, and the seed biology of the hard, grooved seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the winter garden and the streamside planting, the Tatarian dogwood glows with the coral-red stems against the snow and feeds the birds with its white berries. The dense thicket holds the eroding bank, and the shrub makes the fine winter-stem specimen, the wildlife shrub and the plant of the wet, cold garden. It is a shrub for the sunny, moist, rich and open place.
To grow the Tatarian Dogwood from seed, strip the seeds from the white fruits and give them a cold, moist spell.
Strip the seeds from the white fruits and give them a cold, moist spell, and keep the young dogwoods in the sunny, moist spot. The coral stems glow through the winter.
LATIN NAME: Cornus alba
COMMON NAME: Red-barked Dogwood, Tatarian Dogwood
The red-barked dogwood is a shrub grown for one of the most striking winter displays in the garden. It steadily establishes a rounded crown, eventually 5-10 metres tall. But its glory comes in winter, when the leaves have fallen: the young stems glow in brilliant shades of red, coral and orange, most vividly if the shrub is cut back hard each spring, so the new growth lights up the garden through the grey winter months. Planted in a group, it is one of the best winter features you can grow.
The red-barked dogwood belongs to the dogwood family, Cornaceae, and it is native to eastern Asia, from Siberia through China and Korea. It is a hardy, easy shrub that thrives in sun or light shade and in most soils, including damp ones, and it has been grown in gardens for over a hundred years.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing red-barked dogwood from seed is easy and gives good results. The seeds sit inside the white berries, and they need a period of cold, moist conditions to germinate, so collect the berries in autumn, clean the seeds, and keep them cool and damp for a few months, or sow them in pots and leave them outdoors through winter. In spring, bring the pots to a bright spot and keep them moist. Germination can be slow and uneven, with seedlings appearing over several weeks, so be patient. Grow the young shrubs on in pots for a year or two before planting out in a sunny or lightly shaded spot. Once established, your dogwoods will grow fast, and a winter of glowing red stems will repay all the waiting.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The red-barked dogwood has a genuine place in horticultural research. It is one of the most valued shrubs for winter gardens, prized for its brilliantly coloured young stems, and researchers have studied the best ways to prune and manage the shrub to get the brightest winter colour, as well as the selection of named varieties with the most vivid reds, oranges and yellows. The genus Cornus is also of interest in plant research, as the dogwoods are a distinctive and ancient group of flowering plants, and the berries and bark of some species have traditional uses. In ecology, the shrub is valued in research on plants for wildlife gardens, since its berries feed birds and its dense growth gives shelter. For a shrub of such winter brilliance, the red-barked dogwood has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the red-barked dogwood is a generous shrub. Its white flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its berries feed birds and small mammals through late summer, and its dense growth gives year-round shelter for wildlife.
Its economic value lies mainly in ornamental horticulture. It is one of the most popular winter-interest shrubs in temperate gardens, used for winter borders, screening and massed planting, and it has a solid place in the nursery trade. For a grower, red-barked dogwood is an easy, high-demand shrub, and for a gardener it brings a blaze of colour to the darkest months of the year.
CORNUS ALBA- DOGWOOD Large upright shrub with deep red stems which are very Conspicuous and add colour just when it is needed in winter when the plant loses its leaves. Plant in large groups where it doubles the effect. Tough plant suited to damp soils and will grow anywhere. Lovely Autumn and winter colour. Height up to 3metres Width up to 3metres Dark green leaves turn red in autumn. Bark rich red Small white clusters of flowers May and June Followed by white berries in autumn sometimes tinged blue Great for landscape gardens, informal hedging. Screening. Bright red stems are used for floral decoration and basket making. Attracts birds butterflies.