The dogwood shrub varieties, such as the vibrant Red Twig (Cornus sericea) and Yellow Twig dogwoods, are prized in landscaping for the striking color of their woody stems during the winter months. The intense reds, yellows, and oranges are a direct result of new growth. Older stems naturally lose their brilliance, turning dull gray or brown as their bark matures. Pruning is necessary not just for maintaining size and shape, but specifically to stimulate the production of young, highly pigmented stems that ensure the shrub’s aesthetic value.
Essential Timing and Preparation
The most effective time to prune dogwood shrubs is during their dormant period, ideally in late winter or very early spring before new buds begin to swell. This timing minimizes stress on the plant and allows the vibrant stems to be enjoyed throughout the winter season. Pruning too late, once the shrub has broken dormancy, will cause sap bleeding and divert energy from new spring foliage. A good guideline for many regions is to complete all pruning between late January and mid-March.
Before making any cuts, it is important to gather the appropriate tools, which should be sharp and clean for precise work. For smaller, younger stems, sharp bypass hand pruners are sufficient, while thicker, older canes will require bypass loppers. Neglected shrubs with extremely woody stems may necessitate a clean pruning saw. To prevent the transmission of disease, sterilize the cutting blades with a household disinfectant solution before and after use.
Annual Pruning for Maintenance and Health
Routine annual pruning is the foundation for maintaining a dogwood shrub’s health and maximizing its stem color. The first step is always to remove any dead, diseased, or damaged wood, cutting these stems back to their point of origin at the ground or the main crown. Removing this compromised growth improves air circulation and prevents potential entry points for pests and pathogens.
Once the compromised material is cleared, the focus shifts to a thinning technique designed to encourage new growth. This involves selectively removing the oldest, thickest, and darkest-colored stems, which have lost their youthful pigmentation. These older canes should be cut as close to the ground as possible to prompt vigorous new shoots to emerge from the base. It is advised to remove approximately one-third of the total stems annually to maintain a balance of color and plant structure.
Thinning the shrub directs the plant’s energy toward creating new shoots, which will display the brightest colors the following winter. These thinning cuts should be distributed evenly across the shrub to prevent the development of bare spots or an asymmetrical shape. Consistent annual removal of the oldest wood ensures a continuous supply of highly colored stems without significantly reducing the overall size of the shrub.
Intensive Rejuvenation Cuts
When a dogwood shrub has been neglected for several years, its stems may become dense, woody, and entirely dull in color, necessitating a more aggressive pruning strategy. This intensive rejuvenation is used when annual maintenance has failed to restore the plant’s ornamental qualities or when the shrub has grown too large for its location. A complete rejuvenation cut, sometimes called coppicing, involves cutting all the stems back severely.
For this hard renewal, every stem is cut down to a height of 6 to 12 inches above the ground, essentially leaving short, woody stubs. Although this technique is drastic and removes all existing colorful wood for the current season, the established root system will force a massive flush of new, brightly colored growth later in the spring and summer. The shrub will appear smaller and sparser immediately after the cut, but it will quickly recover with a dense, colorful canopy by the following winter.
An alternative approach is gradual rejuvenation, which is less shocking to the plant and allows it to retain some size and structure. This involves removing one-third of the oldest, heaviest stems each year over a three-year period. By the fourth year, the entire shrub will consist of new, colorful wood, renewed without the temporary loss of its visual presence. This method is preferred when the shrub’s size is adequate, but the stem color needs to be refreshed.