Leaf
Pierre Bonnet, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Common dogwood
Cornus sanguinea L.
Also known as: Bloodtwig dogwood, Dogwood
Family: Cornaceae
2 to 4 m tall
Hedges, woodland edges, thickets
Flowering: May – June
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its bright red young twigs are visible from far away in midwinter, when everything else is bare. Common dogwood has thinner blood-red twigs and black fruits, whereas Tatarian dogwood has stouter twigs, often variegated in garden varieties, and characteristic white fruits.
🍃 Leaves
Opposite, ovate, clearly visible arching veins, dark red in autumn
🌸 Flowers
Small flat white corymbs
🍎 Fruits
Small blue-black to black drupes when ripe, gathered in loose clusters.
🪵 Bark
Young twigs often reddish to dark red, especially in winter; the shade can vary with exposure and the age of the twigs.
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, western Asia; very common in hedges and woodland edges throughout France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-bearing white flowers in corymbs, much visited by bees and various insects in spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted in country hedges, also valued for its decorative red twigs in winter.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Fruits mildly purgative and not recommended for human consumption (digestive upset if eaten), unappetising.
🌱 Known cultivars
Midwinter Fire
The undisputed star of winter: its stems shift from yellow at the base to orange and then bright red at the tip, a 'flame' gradient that no other dogwood offers; green foliage turning golden-yellow in autumn.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Common dogwood
Cornus sanguinea
Tatarian dogwood
Cornus alba
Common dogwood has thinner blood-red twigs and black fruits, whereas Tatarian dogwood has stouter twigs, often variegated in garden varieties, and characteristic white fruits.
🌿 Other Cornaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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