Starting a series within a series, I will be highlighting shade plants that grow well underneath trees, especially California Live Oak. I have a deep shade area beneath many trees here in my own garden and i am constantly looking for plants that can help green this area. — Douglas

An amazing shot of color for your garden. This red stemmed dogwood is sure to make a splash in any garden and even has creamy white flowers at certain times of the year. This does require more moisture than most, but if you have a shady area with some irrigation, it might just fit your needs.

Red Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera/Cornus sericea)

Photo: Las Pilitas Nursery

What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments!

Cornus sericea, syn. C. stolonifera, Swida sericea, red osier dogwood,^[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Cornaceae, native throughout northern and western North America from Alaska east to Newfoundland, south to Durango and Nuevo León in the west, and Illinois and Virginia in the east. Other names include red willow,^[2][3][4] redstem dogwood,^[2][4]redtwig dogwood, red-rood, American dogwood,^[2] creek dogwood, and western dogwood.^[2]. 

In the wild, it commonly grows in areas of damp soil, such as wetlands. It is a medium to tall deciduous shrub, growing 1.5–4 m tall and 3–5 m wide, spreading readily by underground stolons to form dense thickets. The branches and twigs are dark red, although wild plants may lack this coloration in shaded areas. The leaves are opposite, 5–12 cm long and 2.5–6 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin; they are dark green above and glaucous below; fall color is commonly bright red to purple. The flowers are small (5–10 mm diameter), dull white, in clusters 3–6 cm diameter. The fruit is a globose white berry 5–9 mm diameter.

The Latin specific epithet sericea means “silky”, referring to the texture of the leaves.^[5] — Wikipedia

More information onRed Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera/Cornus sericea):

• Red Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera/Cornus sericea) on Wikipedia
• Red Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera/Cornus sericea) on Fine Gardening
• Red Stem Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera/Cornus sericea)at Las Piliate Nursery

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Previously in the Interesting Plant series: 

• Blackfruit Dogwood (Cornus sessilis)
• California Spikenard and Elk Clover (Aralia californica)
• Bush Anemone (Carpenteria californica)
• California Pipevine/California Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia californica)
• Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum)
• Begonia Rex (Painted-leaf begonia)
• Leonotis leonurus
• Matilija Poppy (Romneya)
• Melocactus matanzanus (Turk’s Cap Cactus)
• Coleus “Redhead”
• Tiarella ‘Pink Skyrocket’
• Bacopa monnieri (Water hyssop)
• Lycoris squamigera (Naked Lady Lily)
• Kong Coleus (Plectranthus/Solenostemon scutellarioides “Kong Series”)
• Crassula plegmatoides
• Agave victoriae-reginae
• Mountain Cornflower (Centaurea montana)
• Euphorbia ‘Black Bird’
• Firecracker vine (Ipomoea lobata)
• Eryngium yuccifolium
• Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’
• Echeveria Agavoides
• Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa)
• Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)
• Seaside Daisy, Beach Aster (Erigeron glaucus)
• Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) 
• California Lilac (Ceanothus)
• Bigberry Manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca)
• Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana)
• Malva Rosa (Lavatera assurgentiflora)
• Baby Blue-Eyes (Nemophila)
• Coral Bells or Alum Root (Heuchera)
• Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) 
• Echeveria ‘Lola’
• View all past “Interesting Plant” posts

Interesting Plant is a series from A Gardener’s Notebook blog and podcast that highlights the most interesting plants I find in my Internet and real-world travels — Douglas

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