Red Barked Westonbirt Dogwood Plants

Cornus alba Sibirica Hedging

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Cornus alba Sibirica, Siberian or Westonbirt Dogwood, is a vigorous dogwood with rich red young bark. This strong-growing, deciduous shrub has green leaves that turn red and orange in the autumn. Sibirica dogwood's primary feature, however, is its brilliant scarlet bark, which provides much-needed winter colour and can light up the dreariest day.

Like all dogwoods, it prefers moist soils and will grow in very wet conditions. It makes a good specimen shrub but is probably at its best when planted in a group with other dogwoods with coloured bark. As such, it makes a very long term (November - March) winter feature which lights up the garden on the most dismal days and is simply stunning in snow of frost.

If It can reach 3 metres, but it is better coppiced every year. This variety was cultivated at Westonbirt Arboretum in the 1830's and holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

You can also look at the rest of our range of Dogwood plants for sale.

These plants are delivered bareroot during winter (Nov-April) and are graded by their height in centimetres above the ground when planted. 

Growing Cornus alba Sibirica plants:
Cornus alba Sibirica will grow well in any soil, but it needs at least half a day of full sun. It loves waterlogged soil and will tolerate chalk. The only essential preparation is to kill the weeds and iIf your soil is poor or dry, then digging in some well rotted manure and/or compost is necessary. Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Hedge Planting Accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass.and we ralways ecommend using Rootgrow" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.

After Care

After you have planted your Cornus alba Sibirica hedge, the most important thing to do is water it in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Watering should be thorough, so the ground is soaked. Let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Watering & weeding will be necessary for at least a year after planting.

Trimming Dogwood plants: To get loads of bright new stems each winter, all you need to do is to coppice (hard prune) your plants, starting in their first year after planting.
In March, use clean secateurs to cut all the stems down to about 15cm, 6 inches, from ground level, varying the height of the cuts if you don't want the shape to become too uniform. After that, apply a good blanket of mulch around the plant, without touching, the plants. You can do this every year, but every other year is sufficient and better for the local wildlife. 

Hygiene & Diseases: Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears. Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.

After you have planted your Cornus alba Sibirica hedge, the most important thing to do is water it in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Watering should be thorough, so the ground is soaked. Let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Watering & weeding will be necessary for at least a year after planting.

Trimming Dogwood plants: To get loads of bright new stems each winter, all you need to do is to coppice (hard prune) your plants, starting in their first year after planting.
In March, use clean secateurs to cut all the stems down to about 15cm, 6 inches, from ground level, varying the height of the cuts if you don't want the shape to become too uniform. After that, apply a good blanket of mulch around the plant, without touching, the plants. You can do this every year, but every other year is sufficient and better for the local wildlife. 

Hygiene & Diseases: Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears. Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.