Perhaps the brightest of the red-stemmed Dogwoods, growing to 2.5m x 2m if left unpruned and with a suckering tendency. Good crimson autumn foliage too.

H x S: 2.5m x 2m

Aspect and soil: generally unfussy but not successful on chalky soil, and best in moist but well-drained soil in sun or part shade.

Use: a must in the winter garden, alongside other winter garden favourites such as Betula utilis, black Ophiopogon and Carex, underplanted with snowdrops. A backdrop of evergreen shrubs or tall grasses showcases them to their best.

Care: Cut back hard to a few inches from the ground (coppicing) from the third year and then every other year, as the redness is more pronounced on new shoots.

Wildlife: Flowers attract pollinators and berries birds, but not in coppiced years.

Hazard: —

Hardiness: H7

Cornus Baton Rouge in Betula grove, Loire valley, 29 October 2021

Cornus alba Baton Rouge, Loire valley, 18 January 2021

Cornus alba Baton Rouge w Betula Ophiopogon and Miscanthus, Saint Georges des Sept Voies, 18 January 2021