Kesselringii Purple Dogwood Plants

Cornus Alba Kesselringii - Purple Barked Dogwood

Delivered by Mail Order Direct from our Nursery with a Year Guarantee
 

Cornus alba Kesselringii is a vigorous shrub with fabulous deep purple, almost black, young bark rich green foliage that turns a deep wine red in autumn. 
It is usually hard pruned as a specimen shrub, but like any dogwood it could go in a mixed hedge to add a little colour.

Very dark bark makes exciting contrasts in a mixed group of dogwoods such as golden-green Flaviramea and bright red Sibirica. Striking when there is snow on the ground.

The dark stems are also great for arranging with cut flowers. It prefers a sunny spot and is suitable for any soil but will grow happily in a bog. Cornus alba Kesselringii will reach 3 metres.

View our full selection of dogwood shrubs.

Cornus alba Kesselringii plants are delivered bareroot during winter (Nov-April). Their height is measured in centimetres above the ground (roots or pots aren't measured).

History & uses of Kesselringii Dogwood: 

This variety was bred at the start of the 20th century and is a flower arranger's favourite.

Growing Cornus alba Kesselringii plants:
Cornus alba Kesselringii 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.

Prepare your site before planting:
Hedge plants like Cornus alba Kesselringii are very tough. The only essential preparation is to kill the weeds in a strip a metre wide along the planting site: improving the soil should not be necessary. If your soil is exceptionally poor and dry, then digging in some well rotted manure and/or compost is worthwhile.

Watch our video on how to plant a garden hedge for full details. The plants in this video are delivered pot-grown, but planting out bareroot stock is essentially the same.
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.
You can buy a hedge planting pack with sheets of mulch fabric and pegs to hold it down.
If you are planting in an area with rabbit and/or deer, you will need to use a plastic spiral guard for each plant, supported by a bamboo cane.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser.

After Care

After you have planted your Cornus alba Kesselringii 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:
Specimen shrubs:
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, without touching, the plants.
You can do this every year, but every other year is sufficient and better for the local wildlife.
Hedges: Immediately after planting, cut the plants back by 50% and then trim them with the rest of the hedge as normal.

Special notes on caring for Cornus alba Kesselringii hedges:
Cornus alba Kesselringii is a very tough hedge plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If you didn't use a mulch fabric, it is beneficial to mulch around the base of the hedge each year.

Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.

After you have planted your Cornus alba Kesselringii 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:
Specimen shrubs:
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, without touching, the plants.
You can do this every year, but every other year is sufficient and better for the local wildlife.
Hedges: Immediately after planting, cut the plants back by 50% and then trim them with the rest of the hedge as normal.

Special notes on caring for Cornus alba Kesselringii hedges:
Cornus alba Kesselringii is a very tough hedge plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If you didn't use a mulch fabric, it is beneficial to mulch around the base of the hedge each year.

Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.