Redosier dogwood

photo by P. Harrington

Here are the berries of redosier dogwood or red twigged dogwood. The white color is pretty amazing! The berries are a favorite food of birds so it isn't often they stay around that long. In most large-scale nurseries dogwood shrubs don't get to set much fruit for two main reasons: they are constantly sprayed with insecticide which wipes out pollinators, and they grow fairly rapidly so they are constantly shear pruned to push new growth. They do grow in the wild in central Ohio, but are usually confined to low areas. They are extremely hardy and can really take the cold without problems. The red stems tend to get a brighter red in the winter which makes for a nice break in the brown and grey of central Ohio's winter. As the main stems age, they lose vigor and color, so removing the older stems keeps the younger stems vigorous. This shrub is widely available but it is more common to find "fancy" dogwood shrubs of different varieties or species altogether. It is usually listed as Cornus sericea or Cornus stolonifera. I really like this shrub if it is planted in the right location and it is well taken care of. The excellent fall color is just another asset.