You'll be hard-pressed to find another plant that offers the dramatic year-round color and excitement of the Arctic Fire® Red Twig Dogwood. From the showy red bark in winter to the soft white blooms of spring to the unique white berries of summer and stunning red fall foliage, you will love watching this plant transform your landscape all year long.

The fiery red bark breathes life into a barren winter landscape. A fresh snowfall backdrop for your dwarf Red Twig Dogwood will take your breath away! This improvement on the original has better disease resistance and is half the size! The trialed and tested Arctic Fire is a Proven Winners plant so you know you can trust the quality from the number one plant brand!

Key Features:

• The Arctic Fire® Red Twig dogwood is extremely low maintenance. Provide some sun and water and your pretty shrub will shine for a lifetime.
• While using the Red Twig as a focal shrub is always a hit, try creating a unique border, hedge, or group planting for huge color and interest. Your landscape will be the talk of the neighborhood especially in winter!
• Twig Dogwoods are great for erosion control and tolerate slope planting well. Transform you hilly spot into a masterpiece with the Arctic Fire, some Yellow Twig Dogwoods, and junipers!
• Wildlife, birds, and butterflies love the Red Twig Dogwood. Butterflies flock to this plant in spring when the blooms arrive. Birds and other wildlife enjoy the berries and the protection of the foliage and branches.
• This hardy shrub tolerates deer, wet soil, and partially shady sites.

Where Should I Plant An Artic Fire Dogwood?

Plant this shrub in a spot that has well drained soil in grow zones 3-7 and full sun to part shade conditions. This deer resistant shrub makes a great container plant or border shrub in the landscape.

How Far Apart Should This Shrub Be Spaced?

4 feet apart for a tight knit look and 5 feet apart for space in between them. These low maintenance, cold hardy shrubs look great in small gardens.

How Do I Prune This Dogwood?

Pruning in late winter or early spring is the best time to trim atleast 1/3 of the shrub back to encourage new growth and preserve some of the older branches.

Special: For the most vivid red color prune your Arctic Fire Red Twig Dogwood to just a couple inches  every other year.  The brightest red is on younger stems.  If you want to keep more height enjoy the fiery transition from the older to newer portion of the stems of simply prune back the oldest stems when they aren't offering as much color as you would like.  Keep your pruned stems for a lovely holiday arrangement!

Planting

The Red Twig Dogwood grows in full sun to part shade. It is adaptable to a variety of soil including clay and even wet soil. However, a well-draining soil is ideal.

Mulching is great option to keep the soil moist. Add 2-3 inches of mulch around this shrub, taking care to cover the entire root zone area.

Watering

For the first few weeks water deeply about 3 times per week to help the roots grow properly. Reduce to about 2 times per week for the next couple months while your dogwood is establishing. After this establishment period, you can cut back once again, but be sure to avoid allowing the soil to dry completely. This shrub likes does not like to be dry.

Fertilizing

Fertilize with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer once a year in spring for best results.

Maintenance

There is no need to prune this shrub, but if you do, prune in early spring. Pruning older wood every few years will encourage a brighter red bark. Pruning back to 6-8 inches yearly will keep your dogwood vibrant and compact. Red Twig Dogwoods are deer tolerant.

Provide optimal conditions to keep your Arctic Fire Red Twig Dogwood healthy. A healthy plant will have significantly less risk of disease and pest. Scale, and Bagworms can cause problems for these shrubs on occasion. Scale can be treated with horticultural oil, optimally applied in the dormant season. Bagworms are generally treated, by cutting off the affected portion of the branch or applying carbaryl or Bacillus thuringiensis. Avoid fungal issues by watering at the base of your plant especially in warm and humid climates. Allowing proper air flow will reduce and even eliminate this issue as well.

The Arctic Fire Red Twig Dogwood compliments just about any plant or tree.  Some of our favorites are grey owl junipers, firewitch dianthus, and emerald green arborvitae.  Red Twig Dogwoods look great in a bed or garden as a specimen plant or planted in mass for a spectacular display.  Try these as an extremely unique border or hedge. These are great for erosion control and tolerate slope planting well.

For additional options, be sure to browse our Dogwood and Flowering Tree collections.