Midwinter Fire Dogwood (Cornus sanguina ‘Midwinter Fire’)
This shrubby dogwood has the typical elements t
hat make a plant appealing in the summer. Handsome green leaves and clusters of white flowers bloom in the spring. Where this shrub really shines is in the winter, once the leaves are gone. Its stems start out a yellowish-orange at the base
, turning darker orange toward their middles and bright red at their tops. All the stems together look very much like a fire in midwinter. Grown in groupings, it can have a very striking effect in the landscape.
This shrubby dogwood has the typical elements t
hat make a plant appealing in the summer. Handsome green leaves and clusters of white flowers bloom in the spring. Where this shrub really shines is in the winter, once the leaves are gone. Its stems start out a yellowish-orange at the base, turning darker orange toward their middles and bright red at their tops. All the stems together look very much like a fire in midwinter. Grown in groupings, it can have a very striking effect in the landscape.
quick if they weren’t cared for properly. Junipers tend to be the historians of the plant world, you could find plenty of ancient balls, paper, and other artifacts that got stuck in their prickly grasp. I had about written junipers off, but the common juniper, especially “Repanda” won me over. Staying fairly low to the ground, this shrub is still prickly, but the needles are different from most junipers and quite attractive. The foliage is dark-green with shades of blue-green to grey running through them.
rgreen is an excellent choice for any landscape. Naturally pyramidal in youth, the branches droop slightly with age providing a very attractive, almost weeping form. New growth appears with an almost bluish-grey coating, turning dark-green with maturity. Reaching only 30 feet at maximum, this lovely evergreen fits well into most landscapes and its hardiness and resistance to pollution add to its charm. Sometimes used to replace Douglas fir, it deserves .jpg)
a place in your landscape by its own right. The new growth is edible, but similar to last week’s entry, not very tasty. Tricking a coworker into eating it backfired when he started munching on all the new growth. I had to step in before he permanently stunted the tree’s growth. The lesson is, you never know what someone will like, but seriously, it’s not tasty, unless you like pine-fresh breath.
the show in your garden. But, not every plant needs to steal the show, and in its own way, this evergreen shrub is packed with many attractive features and year-round appeal. The prickly-edged foliage emerges red and turns dark-green during the summer. As winter approaches, the leaves turn a dark
burgundy. Clusters of bright-yellow flowers appear in spring, turning to bluish-purple berries as summer approaches. Although the berries are edible, they are very astringent. With a little urging, your loved ones will eagerly try a taste. Follow up with, “I only said it was edible, I never said it tasted good.” 
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