Cornus sang. 'Midwinter Fire' 40cm-60cm

Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' is a breathtaking multi-stemmed deciduous shrub. Discovered in the Netherlands, this cultivar is famous for its winter bark, which mimics a flickering bonfire. Unlike standard dogwoods that display solid red or yellow twigs, 'Midwinter Fire' features a continuous blend of glowing yellow bases that graduate into fiery orange and intense crimson-red tips. In Spring and Summer the shrub displays an open, twiggy framework covered in soft, mid-green leaves, and bears thick clusters of small white blossoms. In October, the foliage goes through a beautiful transformation, turning a uniform, uniform golden-yellow or warm apricot-orange before shedding. Once bare, the stunning multicoloured, flame-like stems are exposed. The colors intensify dramatically as the winter cold deepens, making it an elite choice for brightening up dreary, dark borders.

Key Features

• Bonfire Effect: Its absolute defining feature is the dramatic colour blend of its winter stems. The bare branches glow with a radiant bright yellow at the base, merging into warm copper-orange, and finishing with fiery crimson-red tips. 
• Multi Seasonal: Features modest clusters of small white flowers in late spring, followed by pea-sized, glossy blue-black berries. The oval green leaves put on their own show in autumn, shifting to a clear amber and golden-yellow before dropping cleanly to reveal the fiery wood beneath. 
• Size & Structure: Develops a bushy, gently spreading, thicket-forming shape. Left unpruned, it grows at a moderate-to-fast rate up to 1.5 to 2.5 metres tall and wide over 5 to 10 years. 

Growing Conditions

• Soil & pH Versatility: While it loves fertile, moist, and well-drained conditions, it is significantly more tolerant of chalky and alkaline soils than many other winter dogwoods. It easily handles heavy clay, sand, loam, and seasonally wet ground.
• Sunlight Aspect: Thrives in full sun to partial shade. However, positioning it in maximum full sun is critical to sharpening the rich orange and red pigments on the young twigs.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout Ireland, easily withstands exposed, windy positions and sub-zero winter temperatures down to -20°C.
• Alternative Pruning Management: Unlike Cornus alba, the base of 'Midwinter Fire' keeps an attractive apricot tone as it ages, and the multi-stem branching adds to the "flickering" effect. Instead of cutting it completely to the ground annually, the standard practice is to remove one-third of the oldest stems down to the base each March. This maintains a mix of mature structure and vivid new growth

Wildlife Value

• Bird Food: The small, dark autumn berries are an excellent food source for local garden birds, which will actively harvest them throughout the late season.
• Pollinator Magnet: The flat-topped flower clusters are an RHS Plant for Pollinators, drawing a high volume of honeybees, bumblebees, and hoverflies when blooming in early summer.
• Larval Food Source: The native Cornus sanguinea lineage means it serves as a helpful host plant for the caterpillars of several native moth and insect species.