Dogwood

Cornus sanguinea

• Easily identifiable in the winter as its stems in their first year are dark red. If you turn the stems over you will often find that they are pale green underneath.
• The male and female parts of the dogwood are found within the same flower – making it a hermaphrodite plant.
• It name may derive from dag wood – a dag being a name for a butcher’s skewer. Other local common names point towards this use too – such as prickwood and skiver wood.
• Dogwood is common on chalky soils, in hedges, scrub and woodland edges.
• There are a few varieties that have become common in gardens, but Cornus sanguinea is native to Britain.