Cornus sericea seed
LATIN NAME: CORNUS SERICEA
COMMON NAME: Red Osier Dogwood
In the wet thickets and the stream banks of the north, the red osier 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 red through the winter. It spreads quickly by the suckering roots into a dense thicket, and it stands the bitter cold and the wet, rich soils well. Plant it in full sun with deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The red osier dogwood comes up in the studies of the wetland shrubs of the north, its winter-red stems and its white berries keeping it in view in the work on the stream-bank stabilisers and the wildlife shrubs of the cold regions. 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 red osier dogwood glows with the brilliant red of its young 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 Red Osier Dogwood from seed, strip the seeds from the white berries and give them a cold, moist spell.
Strip the seeds from the white berries and give them a cold, moist spell, and keep the young dogwoods in the sunny, moist spot. The red stems glow through the winter.
LATIN NAME: Cornus sericea
COMMON NAME: Red Osier Dogwood, Red-twig Dogwood, Red Willow
The red osier dogwood is a handsome and generous shrub of the northern wetlands, and its brilliant red winter stems are a striking sight in the cold season. Growth is steadily, the plant forming a rounded crown that reaches 5-10 metres. It is native to much of North America, and it has sometimes been considered a synonym of the Asian species Cornus alba, while it is grown as a valued shrub of the wetland garden.
The red osier dogwood belongs to the dogwood family, Cornaceae, and it is a species of flowering plant native to much of North America. It has sometimes been considered a synonym of the Asian species Cornus alba, and it is grown for its creamy flowers, its berries and its brilliant red winter stems.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The red osier dogwood has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and ecological research. It has been studied in horticulture, since it is a handsome and generous shrub of the wetland garden, prized for its creamy flowers, its berries and its brilliant red winter stems, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its many varieties, while its winter colour has made it a valued plant of the winter garden, and its stems have long been used by the peoples of its native range for basket-making and for many other purposes. The shrub has also been studied in ecology, since it is a native of the northern wetlands, and researchers have examined its role in the wetland community, its value to the wildlife, whose berries it feeds, and its use in the restoration of the streamsides and the wetlands, which has drawn attention in the international conservation and landscape press as a valued plant of the nature-based restoration. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the dogwood family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined. For a shrub of such winter beauty and such service, the red osier dogwood has a rich and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the red osier dogwood is a generous shrub of the northern wetland. Its creamy flowers feed bees and other insects, its berries feed birds and wildlife, and its thickets give shelter and hold the stream banks, while its red stems brighten the winter landscape.
Its economic value is real. It is a handsome and valued shrub of the wetland garden, prized for its winter colour, and its value in the restoration of the streamsides and the wetlands has drawn attention in the international conservation and landscape press, while its stems have long been used by the peoples of its native range for basket-making. For a grower, the red osier dogwood is an easy and rewarding shrub, and for a gardener it brings creamy bloom and brilliant red stems to the winter garden. The seeds need a spell of cold — keep them in the fridge in damp compost for a couple of months, then sow them in a pot of moist compost, and theyll sprout steadily, growing on into a generous, red-stemmed shrub.
Cornus sericea & Cornus stolonifera
Description:
NAME: Red Twig Dogwood
OTHER COMMON NAMES: Red Osier Dogwood / Red-Rood / American Dogwood / Red Willow / Creek Dogwood / Western Dogwood / Redstem Dogwood
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cornus Sericea syn. Cornus Stolonifera / Swida Sericea
COLOR: White Flowers / Red Branches
PLANT SEEDS: Fall sow seeds or cold stratify
BLOOM TIME: May – June
HARDINESS ZONE: 3 – 8
PLANT HEIGHT: 4 – 6
PLANT SPACING: 4 – 6
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Sun – Part Shade
SOIL & WATER PREFERENCES: Average – Moist
QUANTITY: 20 Seeds
OTHER: The Red Twig Dogwood is a shrub native to North American. They are fast growing, & very ornamental with year round interest. The spring flowers are small but clustering & fragrant, & are enjoyed by bees & butterflies. It is a host plant for the lovely Spring Azure Butterfly. Birds love to eat the white-blueish berries In summer. In fall, the leaves shine in brightly changing colors of red to orange to purple. The Red Twig Dogwood is probably best known & loved for its beautiful winter coloration. In late summer, the upright branches begin turning red & get brighter as winter progresses. These bright red shoots are very showy with no foliage against a winter backdrop of snow or other blah colors.
This dogwood can grow in average garden conditions, likes moist or swampy areas, & is used along riverbanks to prevent erosion & provide waterbird habitat.