Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi', dwarf red twig dogwood
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Deciduous Shrubs

Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi'

dwarf red twig dogwood

Cornaceae

Cultivar of garden selection; species native throughout temperate North America

At a Glance

TypeShrub
HabitMounding
FoliageDeciduous
Height2-3 feet (60-90 cm)
Width3-4 feet (90-120 cm)
Maturity3 years

Growing Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones

2 - 8
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Zone 5
Zone 6
Zone 7
Zone 8
These zones indicate the coldest temperatures this plant can typically survive.
Frost Tolerancehardy

Key Features

Attracts Pollinators
Container Friendly
Native to North America
Maintenancelow

Overview

Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi' (dwarf red-twig dogwood) is a compact, dense cultivar of the native red-osier dogwood, reaching just 2–3 feet (60–90 cm) tall and 3–4 feet (90–120 cm) wide — a fraction of the 6–10-foot spread of the straight species. It shares the deep red winter stem color, creamy-white summer flowers, and white berries of the species but in a scale appropriate for smaller gardens, front-of-border placements, massed groundcover use, and container growing. The compact, mounding, densely branched habit is more refined than the open, arching form of the species. Winter stems are bright red on current-season growth — the same annual hard coppicing approach applies, though on a dwarf shrub, light renewal pruning removing the oldest one-third of stems each year on a rotation may be more practical than full coppicing, which can set the plant back significantly. Fall foliage is burgundy-red in sun-exposed positions. Great Plant Picks endorsed. The reduced suckering tendency compared to the species makes 'Kelseyi' significantly easier to manage in defined garden beds. Suitable for containers in a minimum 10-gallon pot with consistent moisture.

Native Range

Cornus sericea is native throughout temperate North America. 'Kelseyi' is a compact dwarf cultivar of garden selection.

Suggested Uses

Ideal for gardens where the red-twig dogwood effect is desired at a manageable scale — front of border, massed groundcover planting, rain garden edges, foundation planting, and container growing. Great Plant Picks endorsed for PNW gardens. The compact size (2–3 feet tall) makes it far more appropriate than the straight species for residential garden borders, where the species can easily overwhelm. Mass plantings of 5–9 plants create effective winter stem color impact. Combines well with compact ornamental grasses, low evergreen groundcovers, and early-season bulbs for year-round interest.

How to Identify

Identified by the combination of very compact mounding habit (2–3 feet / 60–90 cm tall) with bright red winter stems — the same deep red color as the species but at dwarf scale. Opposite oval leaves with dogwood parallel curved venation; flat-topped creamy-white flower clusters in late May through June; white berries in late summer. Distinguished from the straight species by significantly smaller stature and denser, more mounding branching pattern.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2' - 3'
Width/Spread3' - 4'

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

red
orange

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~3 weeks
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Spring
Blooms late May through June with flat-topped corymbs of small creamy-white four-petaled flowers — modest at this scale but a useful pollinator resource. White berries 0.25 inch (6 mm) ripen in August through September. The primary ornamental feature is the vivid deep red winter stems from November through March, most brilliant on current-season growth.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

creamy white (in flat-topped clusters)

Foliage Description

medium green in summer; burgundy-red in fall in full sun

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

Full Sun
Partial Shade
Requires 3-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)
357912
Soil Types
loamclaysilt
Drainage
moist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

3-4 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plant in full sun to part shade in moist to wet soil — the same cultural conditions as the species. Full sun produces the most vivid red winter stem color and the best fall foliage color. Moist to consistently moist soil is ideal; tolerates wet conditions and periodic flooding. Because of its compact size, full coppicing (cutting all stems to 6 inches from the ground) is possible but sets the plant back considerably — a gentler approach of removing the oldest one-third of stems each year maintains good color while preserving plant volume. Much less aggressive spreader than the species — suckers are less frequent and can be removed as they appear. Suitable for container growing in a minimum 10-gallon pot with consistent moisture and annual renewal pruning.

Pruning

For best winter stem color: either hard coppice in late winter (February through March) by cutting all stems to 6 inches (15 cm) from the ground, or use a gentler 3-year rotation removing the oldest one-third of stems annually. The rotation approach is recommended for 'Kelseyi' — the compact plant responds better to gradual renewal than full coppicing. Remove any suckers at the base as they appear. On container plants, annual hard coppicing in late winter followed by repotting refreshes the plant effectively.

Pruning Schedule

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early spring

Maintenance Level

low

Container Growing

✓ Suitable for container growing

Minimum container size: 10 gallons

⚠️ Toxicity Warning

Toxic to pets