Dogwood - Common (Cornus sanguinea)

Our range of bare root Cornus sanguinea plants (Common dogwood)

Cornus sanguinea bare root hedging plants or shrubs are grown from seed in one season.  Seed is sown in spring and then the plants are ready to be sold from the following November through to April. 

We always have several batches of seed of Cornus sanguinea including UK provenance and also some of the highest quality imported seed so if it is particularly important to you to have UK provenance please give us a call.  This is a blog on seed provenance.

We also have cell grown Cornus sanguinea which are grown by one of the UK's best specialist growers and these are ideal for amenity planting shemes.  These plants are available all year round.

You can read more about the specifications of the plants we offer on the tab just below the pricing table - to the right of this product descriptions.

Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) Summary

Dogwoods are normally grown for their attractive upright, bright coloured stems but they also provide quite a lot of wildlife value.  This variety is native and has orange/red stems.

In spring and summer, it has large ovate, smooth edged, dull, dark green leaves, borne opposite each other and held on purplish stems.  Flat clusters of tiny white flowers, which turn into black berries in autumn, are carried on older wood.  Leaves turn red before falling, exposing the bright straight stems.  Dogwoods look great planted in a group on damp edges of woodland (where they can benefit from some sunlight) and are often included in wildlife friendly hedgerows.  The brightest stem colour is achieved when dogwoods are planted in full sun.

In addition to this native variety, we have a Dogwood with red stems (Cornus alba) and Cornus alba Sibirica which has very dark red stems, both often used in landscaping schemes rather than farm hedgerows where the native Cornus sanguinea is more popular.

Soil and Situation

Dogwoods will grow in most soils with a preference for moist clay to loamy soils, though it will grow (but more slowly) on limestone soils.

Leaves, fruit and flowers

The leaves are opposite and up to 3” long with smooth sides and curved veins, mid green in colour in spring and summer and turning deep red in autumn.  Nectar and pollen rich flowers are tiny with 4 creamy coloured petals, held in clusters up to 2” wide and are insect pollinated.  The leaves are eaten by caterpillars and the black fruits (dogberries) are eaten by a wide range of birds and mammals.

Eventual height and growth rate

Dogwood is a medium to large shrub with an eventual height of up to 5m.  New stems grow quickly, with brighter colour, if they are cut down to about 4” from the soil level.

This section gives definitions on the specifications of plants that we sell.  We are specialists in field grown (or bare root) plants which are grown in two ways.  The majority are grown from seed, some are ready within one growing season (seedlings or 1+0's) and some species require two growing seasons (1u1's).  In addition to growing from seed we also grow from small plants or cuttings (transplants) which are much more widely spaced (taking more land, more irrigation water, fertilisers and labour).  There are only a handful of bare root wholesale nurseries in the UK and of those even fewer grow transplants but Ray Jenkins has many years' experience of transplanting so we grow these in large volumes.  Ray has written this blog about the benefits of bare root plants and how they are grown and another blog which gives further detail on bare root specifications.

The detailed specifications are shown below.  If you are in doubt about what specification to use please email us on enquiries@rjtreesandhedging.co.uk with a description of the project (and photos if appropriate) and we will advise you.

1+0 - field grown in one season from seed, known as a seedling (sometimes called a whip), generally a slender single stem plant.   These are the cheapest specification and are particularly suitable for planting where weed competition will be less intense, soil is shallow or on exposed windy sites.  Gives a high root to shoot ratio and minimal plant "check".

2+0 - a 2 year seedling, field grown from seed in the same seed bed in two growing seasons where the species cannot be grown to a saleable plant from seed in one season

1U1 - 2 year old plant called an undercut, field grown for two seasons in the same seed bed and undercut by machine (a sharp blade cutting the roots under the soil level) after the first year to develop the root structure. We do this with several species which take 2 years to develop (eg oak, beech, hornbeam)

1+1 - 2 year old plant (transplant) grown from seed in the first year and then transplanted into a different area of the field and spaced out for the second growing season - a robust plant with a larger and more robust root system than seedling or undercut plant which will enable it to better withstand drought and weed competition. Often the best choice and the staple norm for farm hedging and this specification is a requirement of the Countryside Stewardship Grant

1+2- a 3 year old plant, two years field growing in the seedbed and then transplanted (and spaced out) for a further two growing seasons giving a tall, stocky, bushy plant

2+1- a 3 year old plant, two years field growing in the seedbed and then transplanted (and spaced out) for a further growing season, giving a strong bushy plant

3+1 - as above but field grown for a further growing season for more height and a very bushy plant

1+3- 4 year old, one year field growing in the seed beds and then transplanted (and spaced out) for three years, giving a very strong, bushy plant

2+2- 4 year old, two years field growing in the seed beds and then transplanted (and spaced out) for a further two years - a very mature plant suited to certain species like beech and hornbeam where we can offer almost instant hedging

and some that are a bit different.....

P9 - a plant grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel in a 9cm pot (for holly which germinates poorly in the field)

Cell grown - a plant grown in small deep cells (like a small yogurt pot) and then lifted out of those for transportation. Commonly used in forestry and large hedging projects.  Very high quality plants with excellent success rate.  See our blog on the benefits of cell grown plants.

C+1 or C+2 - a 3 or 4 year old plant initally started as hardwood cuttings grown on for a year as cell grown plants and then lined out in fields to grow on for a further 1 or 2 years (a technique used for Cherry Laurel)

0/1 - a hardwood cutting, then field grown for one season (for example for white willow, black poplar and osier)