- Ideal for hedges or embankments
- Location and maintenance of the hedge
- Dogwood hedges can be pruned vigorously
Red dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is not only an aesthetically very attractive tree, but - as a native plant - ecologically extremely valuable. The blossoms serve as valuable pasture for bees, butterflies and other insects, and the fruits that ripen in autumn are no less important food for birds and other wild animals. Incidentally, the deciduous shrub got its name both from its reddish-colored wood and from the enchanting, strong red autumn colour. This is particularly effective when planting a hedge.
Although the red dogwood is not evergreen, it also offers a nice privacy screen in winter
Ideal for hedges or embankments
The red dogwood is very suitable for planting a high and - due to its very good branching - also dense hedge. Due to its many root runners, which compact the soil, it can also be used as embankment planting - for example to pave sloping ditches and thus secure them. In addition to a pure dogwood hedge, you can also use the wood for mixed planting, for example in combination with rhododendron, boxwood or thuja.
Location and maintenance of the hedge
Since the red dogwood, which is sometimes also referred to as blood-red dogwood, is very vigorous, you should plant the young plants about a meter apart for a hedge. The wood can be about five meters high and at least three meters wide, so it needs a lot of space. It is best to plant the dogwood in a sunny to light, partially shaded location with moist, slightly acidic soil. Mulching is recommended to keep the soil conditions optimal. This also protects the hedge from drying out in the hot summer months, although you should water the shrubs regularly during dry periods. As a native plant, the red dogwood is absolutely hardy.
Dogwood hedges can be pruned vigorously
Another argument in favor of planting as a hedge is that the red dogwood is absolutely tolerant of pruning. The wood easily tolerates heavy pruning, although the best time for such a measure is immediately after flowering. Regular thinning is also useful to remove old wood and thus pave the way for the beautiful, reddish young shoots - and of course better branching.
tips
Bark, leaves and roots of the red dogwood are slightly poisonous, but the fruit is only inedible when raw. However, you can boil them down to make jam, jelly or fruit juice - such products taste particularly good with sweet apples.