Category: Autumn

Cornus, commonly known as Dogwood, are renowned for revealing vibrant stems of red, orange and lime green once their fiery shaded foliage has dropped in the Autumn. Many varieties will also put on a display of striking flower bracts in early Summer, making them an invaluable addition to any garden.

Cornus are tolerant in partial shade, but for the best vibrant stem colour we recommend growing them in full sun in moist soil and leaving them unpruned for the first year after planting.

We’ve highlighted some of our varieties below, available in-store and online this season:

Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ Striking yellow-green stems and mid-green leaves turning yellow in autumn. White flowers in May-June are followed by white berries. Height and spread 2m x 3m.

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica Variegata’ Green leaves, edged white, turning red in autumn with bright red stems. Height and spread 3m x 3m.

Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ Dark purple-black stems and rich green leaves turning deep violet in autumn. Cream flowers in early summer followed by white berries. Height and spread 2m x 2m.

Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ Grey-green leaved margined white that turn red in autumn. White flowers in late spring are followed by blue-tinged fruits, bright red stems in winter. Height and spread 1.8m x 1.5m.

Cornus alba ‘Baton Rouge’ Young stems are a bright pink-red in winter. Green leaves turning red in autumn. Height and spread 1.8m x 1.5m.

Cornus alba ‘Siberian Pearls’ Vibrant red winter shoots, dark green leaves turn red in autumn. White flowers in spring followed by white berries in autumn. Height and spread 2m x 1.5m.

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ Colourful stems, yellow at the base deepening to fiery orange-red at the tips. Leaves turn yellow in autumn. Height and spread 2m x 2m.

Click here to shop Cornus online

Not only do Skimmias display fantastic colour in the autumn, but these low-maintenance, neatly rounded shrubs will also provide year-round interest. Evergreen glossy leaves provide a lovely backdrop with fragrant white or cream flowers in Spring and long-lasting bright red berries bring festive cheer during the Winter.

Skimmias prefer a position in full or partial shade and are excellent for planting in containers using John Innes No.3 or Ericaceous Compost.

Did you know?

Only female varieties provide berries and they will need a male variety growing nearby for pollination to produce them, the male varieties produce showy flower buds.

Here are a few of our favourite varieties, available in-store and online this season:

Skimmia ‘Rubella’ (Male) Evergreen with leathery, red-margined deep green leaves and dark red winter buds opening to fragrant, white-pink flowers in Spring. Height and spread 1.5m x 1.5.

Skimmia ‘Reevesiana’ (Self-Fertile) One of the very few varieties that produce berries on their own. A dwarf evergreen variety with white flowers in May, followed by clusters of crimson-red fruits through the winter months. Height and spread 90cm x 90cm.

Skimmia ‘Pabella’ (Female) Evergreen with leathery, deep green leaves and panicles of small fragrant white flowers in spring, followed by green berries ripening to red kept through winter. Height and spread 1m x 1m.

Skimmia ‘Kew Green’ (Male) A small, spreading evergreen shrub with aromatic, broadly oblanceolate leaves and large clusters of small, fragrant greenish-yellow flowers in spring. Height and spread 0.5-1m x 1-1.5m.

Skimmia ‘Perosa’ (Male) Compact and rounded which produced grey-green leaves with yellow margins. Dense clusters of red to pink buds open up into small, star-shaped creamy white flowers from mid to late spring.

Click here to shop Skimmias online