Red Twig Dogwood Plant Care

Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) belongs to the Cornaceae family within the Cornus genus. Red Twig Dogwood is native to much of North America. Red Twig Dogwood is also known as Red osier dogwood, Red willow, American dogwood.

Red Twig Dogwood displays a deciduous tree or shrub growth habit, reaching up to 20 ft tall with a spread of approximately 15 ft. Red Twig Dogwood produces clusters of small, showy flowers in white, pink, or yellow.

Leaf size: approximately 6 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Red Twig Dogwood every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Red Twig Dogwood thrives in full sun to part shade.

Cornus sericea tolerates temperatures of 20–100°F. Red Twig Dogwood prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Red Twig Dogwood to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Red Twig Dogwood every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to part shade and moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Red Twig Dogwood is suited to USDA Zone 2a – 7b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Red Twig Dogwood can spread to about 15 ft (4.6 m) and reach about 20 ft (6 m) tall. Space plants about 15 ft (4.6 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Red Twig Dogwood while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Red Twig Dogwood is hardy down to USDA zone 2a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Red Twig Dogwood can be propagated through softwood cuttings, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to dogwood tree plant care, which shares the same genus.

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Red Twig Dogwood is susceptible to dogwood borer, scale insects, powdery mildew. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Red Twig Dogwood grows outdoors in USDA Zone 2a – 7b. It survives winters down to planting zone 2a. Red Twig Dogwood is native to much of North America.