Red Osier Dogwood

The red osier dogwood is a large (3-10'), spreading and thicket-forming shrub that has a multi-trunk habit. The leaves are elliptical or ovate (1.5-3.5" long, 0.6-2" wide) and are smooth (no teeth). There are 5-7 long sunken curved veins on each side of the leaf midvein. The leaves are a dull green above and a whitish-green beneath with fine hairs. The red osier dogwood's Fall foliage color is red. This shrub has clusters of small white flowers in Late Spring that are followed by whitish berries later in the season. The bark of the young twigs is the most notable part of this shrub since they are a purplish-red which makes this a favored plant for Winter landscapes.