Maryland Native Plants for Winter Interest

Cornus sericea ‘Budd’s Yellow’

Cornus sericea ‘Budd’s Yellow’, is a lovely addition to a garden for winter interest.  A suckering shrub with an upright-spreading habit and yellow stems typically grows in the absence of pruning to 5-8 feet tall with a slightly larger spread. The best color appears in the younger stems.  In the spring, yellow-twig dogwood produces showy white flowers that attract butterflies. Flowers develop into clusters of whitish (sometimes bluish tinged ) drupes in summer. Fruit is attractive to birds. It’s dark green leaves turn red to orange to purple in the fall making it great for all season interest.  It is a deer tolerant shrub and does well in wet soil.  A common plant for hedges and rain gardens.

LGS Notes:

‘Cornus sericea ‘Budd’s Yellow’ is great as an informal hedge or border, especially if mixed with Cornus sericea ‘Baileyi’ or ‘Arctic Fire’ (red-twig dogwood) for multicolor winter interest.’ – Perri

‘ I think it will look beautiful next to the soft forms of fading grasses like Panicum virgatum and the architectural seedheads of Monarda species or Echinacea purpurea.’ – Alex