Growing guide

How to grow winter stem colour dogwoods

Producing a fiery display of orange, red or yellow stems in winter, these shrubs light up the garden and look great underplanted with early flowering bulbs. For the most vibrant stem colour, plant in full sun, prune annually in spring and make sure the soil doesn't dry out.

Save to My scrapbook

Quick facts

  • Easy to grow in many situations
  • Looks good in late winter and early spring
  • Can be planted all year round, ideally planted in autumn
  • For best stem colour, plant in full sun
  • Cut back hard in spring for optimum stem colour
  • Enjoys a moist soil. Put a layer of bark chips around your plant to stop it drying out and suppress weeds
  • Make more plants by taking hardwood cuttings

All you need to know

Before you get started
Planting
Ongoing care
Pruning and training
Propagating
Problems
While we think all this information will be helpful to you, we always recommend to read the instruction labels on your plants.

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.