Driving along the interstate highway here in the Midwest you can find the occasional stream of color along the fields and road-side. Trails of red pop up in the wind breaks as a welcome change from the vast beige colors and snow cover that dominates our landscape in winter. That pop of red, that ‘winter fire’ color comes form the red twig Dogwood. New growth (up to a few years old) has a bright red to brick red bark that stands out against the snow. If you have a dogwood, but it’s not showing off that vibrant red any longer, it is in need of some pruning or rejuvenation cut back. Removal of all the dead stems/canes at the base will help encourage new, colorful growth especially when done just before spring or early summer. Doing this on a regular basis will help keep the shrub looking it’s best. If the entire shrub has lost it’s vibrancy perhaps it is time to rejuvenate it and cut back all stems severely in order to force new growth as a whole. Try your hand at pruning this native shrub and see what ‘winter fire’ you can bring to life.
