Dogwood Bushes

Turn winter beds into color.

Dogwood shrubs are a high-impact purchase because they solve the hardest seasonal problem: winter boredom. Once the leaves fall, the stems take over—deep reds, bright yellows, and multitone effects that show up from the street and make the yard feel finished even in January. If your buying intent is “I want winter interest without decorating,” dogwoods are among the most reliable ways to achieve it.

They also work fast in the landscape. The collection is built around fast-growing, deciduous shrubs that bring strong color and structure to foundations, borders, and property edges. That matters for homeowners who want a noticeable upgrade in a season or two—and for landscapers who need plantings that look good quickly and keep performing.

And dogwoods don’t just look good—they function. Many dogwood shrubs tolerate moisture and are often used in rain gardens and low spots, which means you can make a wet area look intentional instead of constantly fighting it.

Get stems, blooms, and berries.

Dogwood shrubs earn their place with a four-season payoff. In spring, you’ll typically see small white blooms. In summer, berries follow on many types—an easy way to bring more birds into the yard. In fall, foliage can shift to warm tones, and then winter stems take over as the headline feature.

This collection gives you distinct “looks,” so you can buy with confidence. Arctic Fire® is the compact, punchy red-stem choice. Yellow Twig is the bright winter contrast pick. Ivory Halo is the refined, variegated-foliage option that stays crisp all season and still brings winter stem color. Pucker Up!® adds a unique foliage texture angle (when available), giving you interest even before winter arrives.

The key planning insight: the brightest winter color shows up on younger stems. That’s why these shrubs shine in real life—because a simple pruning routine keeps the plant producing fresh, colorful growth year after year.

Plant for hedges, rain gardens, and borders.

Dogwood shrubs are incredibly flexible in placement. They work as informal hedges along property lines, as repeating accents in foundation beds, and as mass plantings that read bold and intentional in winter. If you’re designing for function, they’re also commonly recommended for moist soils—making them a strong option for rain gardens, pond edges, and low areas where other shrubs struggle.

Spacing depends on the cultivar and the look you want. For a more individual, “specimen shrub” feel (especially with compact or variegated types), many retail references recommend spacing in the 5–6 feet on-center range to allow airflow and full shape. For hedge effects, you can plant a bit closer for faster knit, but still plan around mature width so the hedge doesn’t turn into a constant pruning project.

If your goal is maximum winter show, plant dogwoods where the stems will be backlit or contrasted—near evergreens, dark fences, or stone walls. Then, in winter, the color reads like landscape lighting without any electricity.

Prune once to keep the best color.

The simplest way to keep dogwoods looking their best is to prune for young wood. A widely recommended method is renewal pruning: remove about one-third of the oldest stems down to the ground each year, typically in late winter. That routine encourages fresh stems—the ones that carry the brightest color—and keeps the shrub full instead of woody and dull.

If a planting is older or has gotten leggy, more aggressive rejuvenation pruning is sometimes used (cutting back hard to stimulate new growth), but the “one-third oldest stems” method is the steady, reliable approach that preserves structure and color without shocking the plant. Pair that with simple establishment care—regular watering in the first season, mulch to stabilize moisture, and a site that isn’t bone-dry—and dogwoods become a low-maintenance, high-reward shrub.

Bottom line: if you want winter interest you can count on, dogwood shrubs are one of the best “set it and enjoy it” choices—especially when you keep that annual pruning window on your calendar. Backed by the We Grow Together Promise.