Arctic Fire and Arctic Sun Dogwoods

Has anyone here tried these "newer" dwarf dogwoods? I'm considering these for a shrub grouping. I need them to stay small. Thanks for any advice.

I've never heard of them, so I did a search. They sound like they stay pretty small, so if that's what you're looking for, they sound nice. From what all I read, it sounds like they're Proven Winners.

Sorry nobody answered your question.....

I just got a couple Cornus sericea 'Cardinal', I think they get bigger than the Arctics. The color is incredible! Now I can't wait for snow. It would be nice if they stayed small, though.

claypa, are they the red ones? I had a variegated dogwood, don't have a clue on a name (Halo, maybe?), another house, another lifetime it feels, anyway I digress........I took the nice red twigs and cut lots of them. They look so pretty in and amongst greenery for Christmas. Or they just look good sticking out an old watering can, like I have on the porch.......Want me to send my dad your way? He loves to prune things into odd looking squares. I'm sure he could keep em shorter for you :o)

No, no need to send any help yet. They're bright RED... they look really nice next to a dark 'blue' holly,
Ilex x meserveae 'Dragon Lady'. A happy accident, makes me think about planning things better

PG,

I saw 'Arctic Sun' down at the MO Bot this past fall. It appeared to have grown 2' this past year as either a spring plant or perhaps last fall. Good yellow fall color, stems were a nice color like 'Cardinal' on 10/22. 3'-4' at maturity that PW is claiming? I doubt it, unless one keeps it on a pruning regiman. One almost has to use 'Kelseyi' and hope for no leaf spot to stay that small long term.

Regards,
Ernie

When you're ready for them to be nice squares, you just let me know. I'm sure he'd be happy to oblige....after all, nobody knows how to prune but him anyway. Course he said that after I attacked his precious burning bush.....

Take and cut some of those bright red twigs and bring them in and mix them with your Christmas decorations. They really do look nice.

Thanks Ernie, that's the exact type of advice I was hoping for (first-hand look). Were the tips really as bright as 'Cardinal'?! I really don't need it to stay that small (pretty bizarre for a dogwood), but a little more manageable for a grouping in the backyard. I'm really not loving my inkberry hedge out front, and was thinking of replacing it with Taunton yews, they get a little wilder looking. And I could group the inkberries with the dogwoods, maybe. Or pair the inkberries with grasses and roses, find something else for the dogs.

I do realize they need pruning as the best color is on new twigs, but no squares allowed, LOL. And 'Kelsyi' is more of a muddy brown or rusty red, at best, no thanks.

Anyone have a picture?

Oh, no squares? That's what I've already told my dad regarding his own house. I just get so sad when I see his poor Allegheny viburnum all pruned up looking like some tree. At least not a square like his many other plants, but still.

Pruning on those with red twigs would only involve removing 1/3 of the older stems each year or every other year once the plant gets established. But you knew that. However, taking off some of the tips in the late fall and bringing them indoors...........

Well the whole twig would look nice stuck in a pot of evergreens. They're supposed to be yellow with red tips.

now you're getting it.....lol.....

Hello all!

I just got back from a trade show, where I finally saw Arctic Sun!

It had been forced, so it looked pretty stringy, but the bark color was awesome! And it was still a pretty small shrub, in a 2 or 3 gallon pot. I didn't realize until later that the foliage color was supposed to be a yellowish green, it looked icky BUT I bet it would contrast nicely in a border grouping with dark purple shrubs, and maybe a dark evergreen background plant.

The bark was a bright yellow with red tips, I'm sure it would be a real standout in winter snows. Stay warm!