Cornus sanguinea Annys Winter Orange - Common Dogwood

The Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' forms a small bushy shrub that is particularly decorative in autumn and winter when its foliage and then its wood take on fiery colours. At the end of the season, its deciduous foliage turns light green before turning orange and silver in November. Its bare branches then turn yellow at the base, orange as they rise, and lastly bright red at their tips. Perfectly hardy, native, and easy to grow, it will brighten up your garden when it is at its least colourful. Plant it in groups in flowerbeds to create depth, or plant it as a hedge or as a standalone plant in front of light to highlight its bark. It can be planted in any type of well-drained soil.

The Cornus sanguinea, from the Cornaceae family, which is known by different names depending on the region such as Female Cornel, White Wood, Bloody Wood, or even Norman Olive, is a deciduous shrub found throughout Europe. It is native to a large part of Europe and eastern Asia. As ubiquitous as it is ornamental, it has long attracted the attention of horticulturists. The Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' is a Dutch horticultural creation from 1995, selected for the gradients of yellow, orange, and bright red of its winter wood. Of medium growth, it has a bushy habit with a spreading tuft as tall as it is wide. On maturity, it will reach an average of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in all directions after 10 years unless it is pruned regularly nearly down to the ground. When pruned regularly, it will not exceed 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) to 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) in height. This routine will promote the growth of young branches which will be much more colourful than old stems. The foliage consists of full, elliptical to ovate-shaped leaves with pointed tips and a somewhat soft, glossy green colour. They take on beautiful shades of light green, orange, and eventually silver before dropping off in winter. Flowering takes place in May-June. The tiny white, slightly fragrant flowers are gathered in flat-topped corymbs at the ends of the young shoots. After pollination by pollinating insects, they give way to clusters of small round, initially green, then red, becoming dark purple berries in summer. They delight birds, which in turn spread the seeds.

Truly undemanding in terms of soil type and exposure, the Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' is easy to maintain and extremely decorative in winter. It can be planted as a standalone plant in the centre of perennial flowerbeds, in mixed hedges, or to create spectacular large borders in front of taller shrubs. Its autumn colours blend beautifully with the flowering of asters and its coloured wood brings life to the dark green or blue foliage of conifers in winter. It can also blend well with clematis, which provide it with lovely summer  blooms whilst allowing it to fully express itself in winter.