Bare root stock available Oct-April or PRE ORDER NOW and reserve Our Common Dogwood (Cornus Sanquinea) is a good native British Dogwood, found in a countryside hedge. A multi stemmed shrub, it's found in hedgerow and has stunning burgundy stems in winter. The Common Dogwood (cornus Sanquinea) is common in countryside hedges as it is a little too untidy to make it a good specimen shrub, however it is good for wildlife cover in wet areas where it thrives best.  Small white bunches of white flowers appear in June but these are not a pleasant smell, they turn into black berries in Autumn which appeal to birds.  A good autumn colour turning red/purple.  It is also a popular ornamental plant and is used in gardens to provide autumn and winter colour. Mature trees can grow up to 10m. The bark is grey and smooth with shallow ridges which develop with age, and its twigs are smooth, straight and slim. Leaf buds are black and look like bristles, forming on short stalks. The Common Dogwood is an hermaphrodite, meaning the male and female reproductive parts are contained within the same flower. The flowers are small with four creamy white petals, and are produced in clusters.  After pollination by insects, the flowers develop into small black berries – sometimes called 'dogberries'. Fun fact: The timber is so hard, it was used for crucifixes.