Cornus sericea Firedance - Red osier dogwood

Cornus sericea (or stolonifera) 'Firedance' FIRST EDITIONS® is a variety of compact and wider than tall stoloniferous bush adorned with green foliage that turns purple in autumn, on dark red stems. In addition to this, it has discreet white flowering in spring, followed by decorative white berries that resemble pearls. Plant it in a minimalist setting, a wild garden, or a damp and wooded area.

Cornus sericea belongs to the dogwood family, just like its Asian cousin, Cornus alba, with which it shares many characteristics. Native to eastern North America, from Alaska and Newfoundland to Virginia, this stoloniferous Dogwood, also known as silky dogwood due to the presence of a downy coating on the underside of its leaves, is extremely hardy, but cannot tolerate heat or dry soils. In the wild, this species, which spreads rapidly through stolons, colonises moist banks and marshy areas.

The 'Firedance' cultivar stands out for its compactness and dark red wood in winter. The bush will reach an average height of 1m with a spread of 1.50m after 10 years of cultivation. It has opposite, ovate, lanceolate, 5 to 10cm long, strongly veined, dark green leaves which turn purple in autumn. The branches are dark red throughout the year. The white flowers in flattened cymes, 3 to 5cm in diameter, are not very visible and are followed by white or bluish, quite decorative berries, which are quickly eaten by birds.

Cornus sericea 'Firedance' is an excellent choice to brighten up the garden during winter and decorate it throughout the year. This bush can be placed both as a standalone plant in a small garden and in flower beds or within groves. It harmoniously blends with other varieties of coloured stem dogwoods as well as with bloodtwig dogwoods or Florida dogwoods to create a magnificent play of colours. Its vibrant branches provide a beautiful contrast with the dark foliage of conifers and go well with the spring blooms of azaleas, pieris, and rhododendrons in acidic soils. For an attractive and captivating garden structure all year round, 'Firedance' is perfect as a hedge border, combined with bamboos, choisya, nandina, or camellia. If your garden soil is occasionally waterlogged or poorly drained, this bush will give be a good choice.