Red Stem Bushes

Description

• Redosier and tatarian dogwood plants form rounded shrubs that grow between 3 and 9 feet tall. Leaves are usually medium to dark green, although redosier leaves may be silver on the bottom and turn reddish-purple in the fall. Red twig dogwoods produce loose, branching clusters of small white flowers only 1/4 inch across. Although the flowers are fragrant, they aren't as noticeable as other flowers that blossom at the same time. Flowers are replaced by small white berries about 1/3 inch in diameter. In the spring and summer, the stems of both species are greenish.

Culture

• Red twigged dogwood shrubs are tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions and will grow in most types of soil, including loamy, silty or sandy. They don't mind if the soil is alkaline or acidic, and they tolerate both wet or dry soil, although they prefer soil that's well drained. Tatarian dogwood can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7, and redosier dogwoods grow in zones 2 through 7. Both species are prone to more disease in zone 7, due to the increased heat. Grow red twigged dogwoods in full sun or partial shade.

Pruning

• The red color on the stems is most colorful on young stems. Older stems turn gray when the shrubs mature. Prune regularly to encourage new stem growth. This can be done by either cutting the oldest stems back to the ground in late winter or early spring, or by cutting all the stems every three years. If you're cutting all the stems, cut back to a height of 9 inches. Dead and diseased branches should be pruned whenever they're found.

Disease

• Stem canker, which is also known as dogwood anthracnose or twig blight, is the most serious disease to which red twig dogwoods are susceptible, with the Flaviramea cultivar being especially prone to infection. Early symptoms of this fungal disease include the appearance of spots on the leaves and flower bracts. The spots turn gray and leaves droop. Symptoms appear in the lower leaves first and move up the tree. As the disease progresses, cankers form on the main branches and trunk. The cankers enlarge and may cause branch dieback or even the death of the shrub when they encircle the entire trunk. Control anthracnose by pruning and disposing of dead and cankered limbs. Remove diseased leaves from your shrub and clean up and dispose of fallen leaves. Fungicides including mancozeb, maneb or copper are available to use as a preventive.