What soil does Common dogwood grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, sandy, calcareous.

Is Common dogwood hardy?

Hardy down to -29 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

How far from the house should Common dogwood be planted?

Plant it at least 3.5 m from buildings. Keep it at least 0.5 m from paving.

How far apart should Common dogwood be planted?

Planted on its own, it needs 1.5 m between plants. For a hedge, allow 3 plants per metre.

How much water does Common dogwood need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

Common dogwood

Cornus sanguinea

Common dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a shrub. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -29 °C. Drought tolerance: medium.

Illustration of Common dogwood — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

Common dogwood is a tough native shrub of woodland edges: its white flower heads feed insects in early summer, the black berries feed birds, the leaves turn purple-red in autumn and the young twigs glow red in winter. It suits mixed, informal hedges and wildlife gardens, while the coloured-stem cultivars (such as the orange 'Midwinter Fire' or 'Anny's Winter Orange') light up a winter garden if you cut them to the base every two or three years. It suckers strongly and spreads into a thicket, so keep it out of small beds and pull the suckers regularly.

Watch out for

Its spread is the main problem: with root suckers it builds a dense thicket within a few years and runs into neighbouring beds and lawn. Only young stems are coloured and old branches turn grey-green, so it needs regular renewal pruning for the winter effect. The coloured-stem cultivars are smaller and weaker growing than the species. It prefers evenly moist soil and grows more weakly in prolonged drought. It has few diseases: leaf spot or anthracnose on weak shoots and occasionally scale insects. The flowers smell unpleasant.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 3 m × 2.5 m
Hardiness: down to -29 °C
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D May–June, white

All details

Group	Shrub
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	3 m × 2.5 m
Ultimate size	2.5–4.5 m × 2–4.5 m
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	May–June, white
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	yes
Spreading	High
Distance from buildings	at least 3.5 m
Distance from paving	at least 0.5 m
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	150 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 26, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Shrubs for part shade Hedge plants Plants for screening Shrubs for pollinators Plants with autumn colour Shrubs with autumn colour

Guide on the topic

Fast-growing hedges: how much each grows in a year The fastest hedge plant is the Leyland cypress, growing about 90 cm a year, followed by cherry laurel 'Novita', firethorn and western red cedar at about 50 cm a year, then privet at 40 cm. How long a 180 cm hedge takes to screen depends more on the size of plant you buy: several years from small plants, one or two summers from large ones, but at many times the price per metre. The tables use the current shop prices in your country.

Compare with similar plants

Common dogwood vs Red osier dogwood Common dogwood vs Red-barked dogwood

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