Cornus alba 'Sibirica' 60cm-90cm

Cornus alba 'Sibirica' commonly known as the Siberian Dogwood, it is widely considered the absolute benchmark cultivar for winter stem impact. Recipient of the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, it is slightly less aggressive and more compact than the wild parent species, making it a spectacular structural addition to gardens of any size. While it shares the same growing habits as 'Aurea' and 'Elegantissima', 'Sibirica' is famous for producing the purest, most intense electric coral-red stems found in the plant world. The shrub develops a dense, handsome canopy of soft, ovate mid-green leaves. In May and June, flat clusters of small, fragrant creamy-white flowers bloom, drawing in local pollinators. In September and October, the standard green leaves change color, transforming into rich shades of deep reddish-purple, violet, and amber before falling. At the same time, clusters of small bluish-white berries ripen on the bare stems.

Key Features

• Vivid Winter Stems: Holds the reputation for producing the brightest crimson-red stems of any dogwood variety. Once the leaves drop in autumn, the upright thicket of slender shoots glows intensely throughout the dark winter months. 
• Foliage & Autumn Shift: Features mid-green, oval leaves through the summer that contrast sharply against the red bark. In autumn, the foliage transforms into rich shades of deep reddish-purple and wine-red.
• Size & Suckering Habit: Forms a medium-sized, multi-stemmed shrub growing roughly 1.5 to 2.5 metres tall with a slightly wider spread of 2 to 3 metres. It spreads via underground stolons, forming thick, dense clumps.
• Flowers & Berries: Produces flattened clusters of small, creamy-white flowers from May to June. By late summer, these develop into small, ornamental white or blue-tinted berries. 

Growing Conditions

• Soil & Wet Tolerance: Remarkably tough and versatile. It handles a wide range of soil types (clay, loam, sand) but thrives in consistently moist, heavy, or poorly drained soils. It handles seasonal waterlogging and boggy ground with ease.
• Sunlight for Maximum Colour: Grows successfully in full sun to partial shade. However, planting it in full sun is critical to stimulating the most intense coral-red bark pigment for winter.
• Hardiness: Built to handle harsh conditions, it is fully hardy across Ireland, comfortably shrugging off freezing temperatures down to -20°C and exposed positions.
• Pruning Management: The brightest red occurs strictly on young, one-year-old wood. To maintain the display, the entire plant should be coppiced hard down to 5–7 cm from the ground every March. As with other winter dogwoods, hard pruning will limit summer flowers and berries in favor of explosive winter stem color. 

Wildlife Value

• Avian Feeder: The small clusters of late-summer white berries are a highly popular, high-energy food source for a broad variety of garden birds.
• Insect Ecosystem: The flat-topped spring blooms act as an open banquet rich in nectar and pollen, drawing in honeybees, bumblebees, hoverflies, and butterflies early in the season.
• Habitat Cover: The dense, suckering thicket structure offers excellent low-level nesting, shelter, and foraging grounds for small garden mammals and ground-nesting birds