Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire - Common Dogwood

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' is a decorative variety of blood twig dogwood throughout the seasons. This bush has beautifully coloured wood in red-orange. Its leaves are tinted with gold in spring, becoming green in summer, then bright yellow in autumn. It also offers small bouquets of white flowers visited by pollinating insects in late spring. The red-stemmed dogwood and its varieties are sensational bushes that thrive in all types of soil and form remarkable borders in front of taller shrubs. Invite them into your garden!

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' was discovered in a garden in the Netherlands by H. Venhorst around 1988. Its wild ancestor, Cornus sanguinea, is a deciduous bush in the dogwood family. Native to a large part of Europe and eastern Asia, this plant has long attracted the attention of horticulturists who have selected varieties with young branches that are more colourful than those of the typical species.

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' has a bushy, tufted habit. It is taller than wide. At the age of 10, it will reach approximately 3m (10ft) in height and 2m (7ft) in spread, depending on growing conditions and if it is not regularly pruned close to the ground. When regularly pruned, it will not exceed 1.5 to 1.8m (5 to 6ft) in height. Pruning will encourage new branches to grow. These new branches are more colourful than the old stems. The almost fluorescent young branches are yellow-orange with red-orange tips. The foliage consists of entire, elliptical to ovate, slightly soft leaves with pointed ends. The foliage changes colour with the seasons. Flowering takes place in May-June. The tiny, lightly scented white flowers are gathered in flattened corymbs at the ends of the young shoots. After pollination by insects, they give way to clusters of small round berries that are first green, then red, and finally dark violet in summer. They delight birds who thus spread the seeds.

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' is truly undemanding in terms of soil type and exposure, making it as sturdy as it is decorative. It can be planted as a standalone in the centre of a perennial bed, in a mixed hedge, or to form large spectacular borders in front of taller shrubs. Its autumn colours blend beautifully with the flowering of asters, and its coloured wood enlivens the dark green or blue foliage of conifers in winter. It works well with climbing plants which will provide it with a lovely summer bloom, but will let it fully express itself in winter.