Cornus sanguinea Magic Flame - Common Dogwood

Cornus sanguinea Magic Flame is a variety of dogwood with young stems, that literally set the garden on fire in winter. Gradually changing from yellow to red and bright orange at the tips, the stems, gathered in large clumps, capture all the attention in a quiet season. However, it is not dull the rest of the year: its beautiful foliage has a very bright green-yellow colour in summer before turning salmon-orange in autumn. It produces white and flattened inflorescences in late spring or early summer, which are quite insignificant but highly appreciated by pollinating insects. The red-stemmed dogwood and its varieties are sensational shrubs that thrive in all types of soil and form remarkable borders in front of taller shrubs. Invite them into your garden!

The Cornus sanguinea of the dogwood family is a deciduous shrub. It originated from Europe and eastern Asia. Ubiquitous, but also ornamental, it has long attracted the attention of horticulturists who have selected varieties with young branches more colourful than those of the species. The cultivar 'Magic Flame', obtained in the Netherlands in 1994, is a very beautiful representative of this dogwood.

Cornus Magic Flame is fast-growing and has a spreading bushy habit, as tall as it is wide. At maturity, it will reach an average of 2m (6ft 7in) to 2.50m (8ft 2in) in all directions if not regularly pruned. When regularly pruned, it will not exceed 1.50m (4ft 11in) to 1.80m (5ft 11in) in height. Pruning close to the ground promotes the development of young branches, which are much more colourful than old stems. In 'Magic Flame', the young wood displays a superb gradient of yellow, red, and orange from bottom to top. The foliage consists of entire leaves, elliptical to ovate with pointed tips, a little soft, very light green to yellow-green in summer. They take on beautiful orange tones at the end of the season. Flowering takes place in May-June. The tiny white and slightly fragrant flowers are gathered in flat-topped corymbs at the tips of the young shoots. After pollination they give way to clusters of small round berries, initially green, then red, turning dark purple in summer. They are a delight for birds, that spread the seeds.

Truly undemanding in terms of soil type and exposure, the Magic Flame dogwood is easy to maintain and extremely decorative in winter. It can be planted as a standalone plant in the centre of a perennial bed, in a mixed hedge, or create large spectacular borders in front of taller shrubs. Its autumn colours blend beautifully with the flowering of asters, and its coloured stems bring life to the dark green or blue foliage of conifers in winter. The dogwood works well with climbing plants that will provide it with lovely flowers in summer, but will let it fully express itself in winter.