🍒 Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Zones: 2–7 | Height:** 8–12 ft | Spread:** 6–12 ft | Growth Rate: Fast
Light: Full sun to part shade | Soil: Tolerates wet, loamy, or clay soils
Wildlife Value: Year-round browse, cover, and soft mast
🏞️ Product Description:
The Red Osier Dogwood is a hardy, fast-growing native shrub that plays a vital role in wildlife habitat—especially for whitetail deer. This multi-stemmed shrub provides highly palatable browse, excellent thermal and visual cover, and attractive red stems that offer four-season beauty in your landscape or food plot edge.
Whether planted for wildlife or visual impact, Red Osier thrives in wet soils, woodland edges, and shaded areas—places where other plants struggle to survive.
🦌 A Deer's Favorite:
Red Osier is heavily browsed by deer year-round, making it a dependable and nutritious food source in the lean months of fall and winter. It also offers critical cover for bedding areas and serves as a soft mast producer that supports birds, rabbits, and other upland wildlife.
🌿 Why Grow Red Osier Dogwood?
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Top-tier native browse for whitetails and upland critters
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Thrives in wet or shady areas where other plants fail
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Fast-growing and cold-hardy down to Zone 2
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Beautiful red stems add color in fall and winter
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Great for natural screens, bedding edges, and riparian restoration
🛠️ Planting Tips:
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Plant in moist soils or low-lying areas for best performance
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Space 4–6 ft apart if planting as a living screen or thicket
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Use shrub survival kits to protect young plants from browse and drought
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Water regularly the first season until roots are well established
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Prune occasionally to encourage dense, wildlife-friendly growth
🛡️ Upgrade with a Shrub Survival Kit — Includes 1-Year Shrub Guarantee:
Pair your shrub with our Shrub Survival Kit, which includes a protective tube, moisture-locking weed mat, and a 2-year slow-release fertilizer pack. When purchased with your shrub, this kit activates our 1-year replacement guarantee.
🌾 Summary:
Red Osier Dogwood is one of the most valuable native shrubs for both wildlife nutrition and habitat structure. With its ability to thrive in tough conditions and provide critical winter browse, it’s a must-have for serious habitat managers.
Cold-hardy. Critter-ready. Built for habitat.
