The blood-twig dogwood is a deciduous, flowering shrub that is upright, bushy, multi-stemmed, and twiggy. This plant is native to Europe and as far east as Lebanon and Caucasus. The species epithet, sanguinea , is Latin and means "blood red." This references the reddish twigs and young stems of the plant. It is a member of the dogwood family (Cornaceae). The blood-twig dogwood may be planted in full sun to partial shade. It is tolerant of a wide variety of soil types and prefers moist and well-drained soils. They may be reproduced by seeds, hardwood cuttings, or suckers. This shrub tends to form thickets. Pruning may be required to maintain the plant's shape. Young stems have the most intense red color; the stems become dull green as they mature. Some gardeners prune or coppice the shrubs each year so that they grow fresh, new stems every spring. The blood-twig dogwood may grow up to 8 to 15 feet tall when it matures. The leaves are dark green, and the fall color is reddish-purple. The shrub has clusters of small white flowers in the spring and purplish-black drupes in the late summer. The small white flowers have an unpleasant fragrance. The flowers attract butterflies for nectar and pollen, and the birds are attracted to the fruits. The Bloodtwig Dogwood brings interest to the landscape or garden in multiple seasons. The colorful red stems and twigs add interest to a winter garden. Consider this plant as a shrub border, hedge, or screening, It would bring color to any winter or cottage garden Quick ID Hints: Stems and twigs are red Simple, dark green leaves transition to greenish-purple to reddish-purple in the fall Clusters of small white flowers in the spring Fruits are purplish-black drupes maturing in late summer Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: The blood-twig dogwood has no serious insect or disease problems. They may be attacked by horse chestnut scale. Anthracnose may affect weak shoots. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center has a factshee t on common pests and diseases. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Cornus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Irregular; Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are dark green, simple, elliptic to ovate, and measure 2 to 4 inches long and 0.75 to 1.75 inches wide. Pale scattered hairs are found on both sides of the leaves. The fall leaves may be a greenish-purple to a reddish-purple.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower form
Cyme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The small, dull, white flowers have an unpleasant odor. They are arranged in flat clusters or cymes that measure 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. The sepals and flower stalks have downy hairs. The petals measure 0.25 inches long. They bloom from May to early June.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruits are purple-black drupes measuring about 0.25 inches in diameter. The drupes contain a smooth or slightly grooved stone. The fruits mature from August to September and have a bitter taste.
Bark color
Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The red bark is on the new wood. Regular pruning will help promote the red color.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stems are slender, hairy, dark maroon to reddish-brown. The older branches are dull green.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe to Lebanon and Caucasus
Distribution
Native: Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungry, Ireland, Italy, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, South European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. Introduced: United States--MA, PA, and WA
Wildlife value
Fruits are attractive to birds and plants provide nesting sites. Members of the genus Cornus support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Gonandrena) fragilis, Andrena (Gonandrena) integra, and Andrena (Gonandrena) platyparia.
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds; Specialized Bees
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Easy to Grow; Wildlife Food Source