Siberian dogwood

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; the brightest stem colour develops in good light.

Water

Keep the soil consistently moist while establishing. Established plants tolerate short dry spells, but prolonged drought causes leaf scorch and weak growth.

Soil

Moist, reasonably fertile soil, including clay; tolerates periodically wet ground and a wide range of soil pH. Avoid very dry, shallow soil.

Height

6-9 ft (1.8-2.7 m) if left unpruned

Spread

5-8 ft (1.5-2.4 m), potentially wider where stems root

Flowers

Small, creamy-white flowers in flat clusters in late spring to early summer, sometimes followed by scattered later flowers.

Foliage

Opposite, oval green leaves with curved veins; often reddish-purple in autumn before falling.

Growth

Fast

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2.1 m)

5. After 5 years

   7 ft (2.3 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the US and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) organic mulch in spring, keeping it clear of the stem bases.
• On poor soil, apply a balanced general-purpose fertiliser in spring; avoid heavy feeding on fertile soil.
• Remove unwanted suckers and lift low branches that have rooted if the clump is spreading beyond its space.
• Allow newly planted shrubs to establish for one or two growing seasons before hard pruning.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, before leaves open, cut established plants back to 2-4 in (5-10 cm) above ground for a fresh crop of colourful stems. Alternatively, remove one-third of the oldest stems at the base each year to retain more height, flowers and fruit.

Late winter

Enjoy the exposed red stems, then prune established shrubs before new growth begins.

Spring

Plant while the soil is workable, water thoroughly and mulch around the root area.

Late spring

Check emerging leaves and shoots for damage; remove any dead or cankered stems.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry spells and remove unwanted rooted branches or suckers.

Autumn

Plant new shrubs while the soil is moist and inspect the clump's spread.

Late autumn

Take hardwood cuttings from healthy shoots after leaf fall.

• Plant in groups beside a path or window where the red winter stems can be seen closely.
• Set against dark evergreen shrubs or hedges to make the bare stems stand out.
• Combine with snowdrops, hellebores and low evergreen groundcover for winter and early-spring interest.
• Use along a moist boundary or pond margin above the permanent waterline.
• Mix with yellow-stemmed dogwoods for contrasting winter colour.

Garden styles it suits: Winter interest, Woodland, English country, Wildlife garden, Bog garden and Modern.

Plant it with: Snowdrops, Hellebores, Siberian iris, Japanese sedge, Bergenia and Witch hazel.

Wildlife: The flowers provide food for visiting insects, and birds may eat the white to bluish-white fruit. Dense growth offers shelter, although annual hard pruning reduces flowering and fruiting.

• Leaf scorch and drooping in drought: water deeply, renew the mulch and avoid hot, dry sites.
• Powdery mildew: improve airflow, avoid overcrowding and keep the roots from drying out.
• Fungal leaf spots: collect badly affected fallen leaves and water at soil level rather than over the foliage.
• Stem canker or dieback: cut affected stems back into healthy wood during dry weather and clean pruning tools between cuts.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. The fruit is not intended for eating and may cause stomach upset if swallowed in quantity.

• Variegated Siberian dogwood (Cornus alba 'Elegantissima')

  It also has red winter stems, but its leaves have broad, irregular creamy-white margins; 'Sibirica' has plain green leaves.

• Yellow-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea')

  Its young winter stems are yellow-green rather than coral red, and it commonly forms spreading, suckering colonies.

• Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)

  Red-stemmed forms can be very difficult to distinguish from 'Sibirica' by appearance alone; red-osier dogwood usually spreads more strongly by suckers, but a reliable label is the safest guide.

The Latin alba means white, referring to the fruit, while 'Sibirica' means Siberian.

Propagation. Take hardwood cuttings after leaf fall through late winter, or softwood cuttings in early summer. Rooted low branches can also be detached and replanted; seed will not reliably produce plants identical to 'Sibirica'.

Accepted botanical name

Cornus alba

In the US and Canada

Native in Alaska, Canada, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Altay, Amur, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, China North-Central, China Southeast, Chita, East European Russia, Hainan, Inner Mongolia, Irkutsk and Khabarovsk.

Measured

Average height 300 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.