Red Osier Dogwood

Culture Notes
Red Osier Dogwood can be grown in full sun or partial shade on moist to wet, acid, well-drained, and cool soil.  Keep a mulch around the root system to encourage vigorous root growth. Dogwood is used as a specimen or foundation plant. It is nicely suite for wet soil areas. The bright red or yellow stems are showy all winter long. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.  Plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Pests, Diseases and Damaging Agents
Pests:   Scale can cause problems, but it can be mostly controlled by removing all twigs to about ground level in late winter.. Bagworms can cover the plant and cause defoliation.

Diseases: Leaf spot, twig blight, and canker are problems. Canker kills plants dead. Discula anthracnose can be a problem  

Native to the following North American locales: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia