Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'

Cornus 'Midwinter Fire' is a deciduous dogwood chosen not for flowers but for drama, structure and winter colour that feels painterly rather than brash. Forming a gently spreading shrub to around two metres, it develops a framework of glowing young stems that shift from molten orange to ember-red, threaded with soft yellow at the tips. In spring and summer, oval green leaves clothe the stems, offering a calm backdrop before falling cleanly in autumn. Though the small white flowers are modest, they play a supporting role, allowing the true performance of Cornus 'Midwinter Fire' to build quietly through the seasons.

Come winter, Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' earns its place in the garden, when low light and frost sharpen the intensity of its coloured stems. Planted en masse or allowed to glow against dark evergreens, it brings warmth when borders most need it. Cornus 'Midwinter Fire' thrives in moist, well-drained soil and responds well to hard pruning in early spring, which encourages the brightest new growth. Reliable, resilient and wonderfully atmospheric, Cornus 'Midwinter Fire' is equally at home in contemporary planting schemes or more naturalistic gardens, where its shifting colours echo winter sunsets.