Red Twig Osier DogwoodCornus sericea RedHeight: 7' average mature height Hardiness Zones: 4-8 Find my zone Aspect: partial shade
This plant can't be shipped to Florida
Size Availability
unrooted cutting - $1.25 each
Bulk Pricing: $0.97 each for 5 or more - 22% off Bulk Pricing: $0.65 each for 20 or more - 48% off Bulk Pricing: $0.35 each for 100 or more - 72% off
Unrooted cuttings are a cheap alternative to rooted plants for species that propagate easily. Read more about growing them here.
quart - $8.50 each
Ships free with orders of $75!
Packed with a bagged root ball.
1 gallon - $16.00 each
Ships free with orders of $75!
Packed with a bagged root ball.
Red Twig/Red Osier Dogwood is a western native species growing in many mountainous woodland areas. The red stem form develops a bright red bark on the young canes, especially during the first winter. The red stems bring some much needed bright coloration to landscapes during the winter and is usually the most striking if plants are pruned back in early spring before the buds break, as the younger stems have the brightest color. Red Twig Dogwoods are tolerant of growing in wet areas and are frequently used to control erosion around streambanks.
Mix these with the Yellow Twig form for the brightest contrast during the winter, and plant in a bright area where the bare stems can really shine.
The spring flowers appear in bunches and when the leaves drop off in the fall they reveal white berries left on the stems for the birds to eat.
Superior Selection Information
Our plants are grown from cuttings off of plants selected for deep red color earlier in the summer and improved heat and drought tolerance. Red Twig Dogwoods are typically found growing near streambeds or other wet areas and so seedlings are typically not well adapted to upland dry sites. We collected seed from plants growing on hotter, drier sites in the Klamath Mountains and planted about a thousand seedlings in a hot, dry location in our nursery. After two years there were three standouts for excellent growth and color, and these three plants now serve as our mother stock for our clonal propagation. We have found that they thrive on about a third as much water as standard seedlings and had no issues following multiple days of 121 degrees with low humidity in 2021, nor after four days of 114 degrees with higher humidity in 2022.
Red Twig Dogwood stems planted with the complimentary Yellow Twig Dogwood 
By mid-Fall the new branches begin to turn bright red, sometimes before the leaves have started to drop off.
Image Credit:
Wikipedia:Cornus-sericea
The best color is displayed after the leaves drop off in the winter.
Image Credit:
Wikipedia:Cornus-sericea
Dense hedges shine bright red even from a distance in the winter.
Image Credit:
Wikipedia:Cornus-sericea
Red stems on the Red Twig Dogwood 
Potted 1 gallon Red Twig Dogwoods ready for shipment 
Plants in sunnier sites produce deep red fall color, while plants in shade tend to produce orange and yellow fall colors
The early spring growth is green and the red coloration begins to develop in the summer.
Cornus sericea Red - Red Twig Osier Dogwood - cuttings from improved stock
Packing Plants For ShippingMost of our plants are shipped bare root while they are dormant from late November through April and ship via the U.S. Postal Service. Bamboo plants can be shipped in their containers year-round by UPS. Bare root plants are soaked and wrapped together in bundles. ictured are 10x 24 inch tall Coast Redwoods.  The bundled plants are wrapped in paper and labeled by variety.  The bundle is wetted and bagged.  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Pruning and Plant SizesWe prune both the tops and the roots of our plants at least once per year while they are growing in our nursery to ensure they develop a strong, dense form. Regular annual pruning goes a long way to ensure a healthy branching structure and this is often a missed step in many nurseries. Pruning a plant back hard after it has been neglected pruning-wise often results in an irregular branch habit or multiple leaders so we prune early and regularly instead. We also prune the roots of our plants while they are dormant which causes them to produce a much more branched structure and helps to elimate tangled masses that hinder future development. Plants that have been root pruned establish themselves much more quickly than root bound plants. Generally, hardwood plants will be pruned in the winter and conifers will be pruned in the summer.Before shipping plants we prune the tops and roots one last time. Conifers will usually have very little pruning except to balance out long branches. Shrubs are usually pruned to around 1-2 feet tall to encourage low branch development and small to medium sized trees are usually pruned to around 36-40 inches. Pruning trees at this height encourages dominant branches to begin forming around 3 feet from the ground which typically looks the best in most situations. However, if you want a tree to have branching start higher (some city codes require trees to not branch below 4 feet) we have longer boxes available. To request taller trees please contact us at least three days before your ship date. Depending on your location and the shipping routes there may be a fee for oversize package handling (usually about $15 for a 60 inch box).  Tall trees (Oaks, Ginkgo, large Maples, etc.) are pruned to 40 inches to encourage crown development from about 36 inches and up  Small and medium trees (short Maples, Redbuds, Stewartia, etc.) are pruned 10-20 inches above the prune line from last year  Shrubs (Weigela, Hydrangea, Viburnum, etc.) are pruned to 18 inches tall and root pruned one last time  Small plug size Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long. |
Size Availability
unrooted cutting - $1.25 each
Bulk Pricing: $0.97 each for 5 or more - 22% off Bulk Pricing: $0.65 each for 20 or more - 48% off Bulk Pricing: $0.35 each for 100 or more - 72% off
Unrooted cuttings are a cheap alternative to rooted plants for species that propagate easily. Read more about growing them here.
quart - $8.50 each
Ships free with orders of $75!
Packed with a bagged root ball.
1 gallon - $16.00 each
Ships free with orders of $75!
Packed with a bagged root ball.
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