Red Twig Dogwood, Cornus sericea

A dogwood with bright red stems and large leaves that turn from a bright green to dusky orange, red, and purple in the autumn, we love this particular shrub for its resilience in Southeast Alaska. Found throughout most of the United States in swampy, boggy areas, they thrive in constantly moist soil. See why we love them for Southeast Alaska? Sporting demure flowers that grow into showy white berries, the bright red of the stems will fade as it ages. Many gardeners will prune this shrub to the ground every 2 or 3 years to bring back the bright red color. This can also be achieved with selective pruning of older stems as the dogwood ages. If left to its own devices, this dogwood will spread and grow to a size between 6′ and 9′ tall and wide.