Red-barked dogwood
Cornus alba
Also called Tatarian dogwood, Siberian dogwood and Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'
Garden plant · ShrubsThe other red-stemmed dogwood, and it is cut back in spring exactly like its cousin — only the new wood colours. 'Elegantissima' is the white-edged one people usually mean. It carries flat heads of small cream flowers in summer, which the red osier plate does not show, and the RHS lists it for pollinators.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 5 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun for the best stem colour
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 2.5 m tall · 2.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- Siberia, northern China and Korea
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Neither authority names Cornus. That is an absence and not a clean bill.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Winter stems the colour of any other twig instead of red. Only the new wood colours — cut a third to a quarter of the stems right down to the base each spring and the plant renews itself; leave it alone for a few years and the whole thing goes woody and dull.Stems gone dull brown · disorder