Dogwood is a medium-sized, growing to 4m (13ft) usually on chalk, deciduous shrub with dark green, slightly downy leaves that provide excellent autumn foliage as they turn from green, through orange to red. The leaves are on on stalks 8-15 mm long.  The leaves are opposite, 4-8 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin with 3-4 pairs of veins curving to the tip, ; they are green above, slightly paler below, and rough with short stiff pubescence and both surfaces are covered in appressed hairs. If gently broken in half across the veins, the two parts will stay together, held by the spiral vascular bundles.  Recognised by red stems with opposing veined oval pointed leaves with red stalks. It is planted mainly for the red shoots and branches that provide good winter colour. It needs yearly pruning to keep this colour in the branches. Greenish white flowers appear in June, and have a rather unpleasant scent, but this seems to be attractive to numerous insects including bees. The flowers are small (5-10 mm diameter), with four creamy white petals, hairy on the outside, produced in clusters 3-5 cm diameter on short, branched stalks. They are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The fruit is a globose black berry 5-8 mm diameter, containing a single seed. The blue-black berries are eaten by a range of birds. Dogwood spreads readily through suckers. It is hardy and is not frost tender to about -25°c. They grow badly when exposed to strong cold winds. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade, though they are not happy when growing in dense shade. It requires moist soil. 

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Plants have a suckering habit and can quickly form dense thickets. They can be coppiced regularly and will throw up long straight stems after being cut back. 

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Propagation ;

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 - 4 months and sown as early as possible in the year. Scarification may also help as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification. Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or more. Prick out the seedlings of cold-frame sown seeds into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in the spring after the last expected frosts. 

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​Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, taken with a heel if possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage. 

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An oil is obtained from the seed, it is edible when refined.

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Known Hazards: Contrary to some reports, the fruit is not poisonous, but the leaves can cause skin irritations to sensitive people.

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Medicinal Uses: Astringent; Emetic; Febrifuge. 

The bark is astringent and febrifuge. It is used to treat fevers. 

The leaves are sometimes used externally as an astringent. 

The fruit is emetic. 

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Other Uses

The young stems are very flexible and are used in basketry. A greenish-blue dye is obtained from the fruit.  Charcoal; Hedge;  Wood - tough, hard. Used for small items such as tool handles, turnery etc. A good quality charcoal is obtained from the wood, the wood also makes an excellent fuel. 

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The seed contains 45% of a non-drying oil, it is used in soap making and lighting. A non-drying oil is also obtained from the pericarp, it is used for lighting. The pericarp contains 19 - 35% oil. The Welsh call it the wax tree because the berries are a source of lamp oil. The term dogwood winter may be used to describe a cold snap in spring. 

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