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Propagating red twig dogwood cuttings into new plants is easy!
We love propagating twig dogwood cuttings into new plants. That’s because it’s easy to do.
Plus, propagating means we can grow new plants from existing plants. So this enables us to expand our garden without buying more dogwood plants. Moreover, we don’t have to buy special equipment or new plants.
What does propagating actually mean?
Propagating in this instance refers to cutting a stem from a plant and growing a new plant from that cutting. Some call these cuttings “slips.”
So, how do you take the right cutting or slip?
Begin by cutting a young stem of your twig dogwood. And make sure cut at a node. Moreover, be sure to remove any extra internode on your cutting. That’s because internodes will likely rot in the ground. And this may hamper the growth.
What are nodes and internodes?
A branch node is where new buds emerge on a stem. These bud points may be very obvious bumps. Or they may be a bit more hidden.
The internodes you’ll want to remove when propagating red twig dogwood are the parts of the branch between each node.
Do you need to apply hormones when propagating red twig dogwood?
Usually, new roots will sprout from red twig dogwood cuttings without applying anything extra to the stems.
However, you could apply a rooting hormone to the cut end of the stem. This can help stimulate the new growth.
Or, another option is to soak the cut end of the twig dogwood cutting in water with a cutting of willow. And let them soak together for about 24-48 hours. That’s because willow can release chemicals that behave like rooting hormones you might purchase at a nursery.
However, in our experience, properly cut twig dogwood will root without any added hormone or willow water.
How to plant your twig dogwood cuttings to grow new plants:
It’s incredibly easy to propagate red twig dogwood from cuttings. Usually this amounts to simply sticking your cutting into moist soil where you want your new dogwood plant to grow. Then, keep the area well watered. Soon you should notice new shoots begin to emerge if your plant roots in properly.
When can I take dogwood cuttings for propagation?
In our experience, taking dogwood cuttings anytime from early autumn to early spring works well. That’s because the plants should be dormant at this time of year.
Moreover, during these months, the ground should be moist but not frozen. That means you can likely take your cuttings and immediately insert them right into the ground to propagate new dogwood plants.
How to propagate twig dogwood in decorative planters:
Red twig dogwood stems are beautiful in decorative winter containers. Plus, they’re likely to root into the container soil especially in winter. That way in spring, you can dig them up to transplant “bare root” into your garden.
To do this, prune long cuttings from existing stands of red twig dogwood. Cut out any internodes at the bottom. Then insert the stem into your decorative planter soil. But be sure that a few nodes are deep in the soil. That way they can send out roots. And you should be able to transplant those shoots in spring just as you’re ready to refurbish your plants with flowers.
Can you dig dogwoods to divide them?
Twig dogwood always send out spreading roots. So if you don’t want the original plant to spread far and wide, simply dig up any spreading roots that are sending up shoots. Then plant what you’ve divided elsewhere. This is a great way to reduce unwanted spread in one spot. And you can inexpensively expand your garden in new areas.
Should you store cuttings in sawdust over winter?
We’ve attempted propagating twig dogwoods by taking cuttings in fall. Then, we stored the cuttings indoors in sawdust over winter. This is a way that should create a bareroot plant like you’d buy at a nursery in late winter. However, this method only resulted in dead twigs by spring for us.
A final note on the Cornus genus…
Dogwoods are in the Cornus genus. So they include lots of plants, including many twig dogwoods. Too, you might find dogwoods underfoot. That’s because Cornus canadensis is a ground cover dogwood. As well several kinds of dogwood trees are available, such as the Pacific dogwood and other beautiful trees that might bloom in all sorts of lovely colors.
I just found some spread in my red twig the other day. So I can just sever and dig and transplant at this time of year? Cool if so! Gotta love plants that make more free plants for us (within reason).
yep. sever. dig. replant. water!
I took some red twig dogwood cuttings and made arrangements with fresh evergreens for the holidays in vases of water. In a few week they had sprouted leaves ! There no were roots at ends in the water which totally surprised me…then in another weeks there were roots ! So I plan to transfer to indoor pots ( I’m in Michigan ) and plant in the spring .?
Sounds like what redtwig dogwood cuttings do in winter arrangements. Potting them up to plant in spring sounds like a great idea. You’ll get to enjoy them while they grow on indoors this winter.
Hi Robin! Can cuttings/insert into ground happen any time of year? Thank you!
Katy,
It can be hit or miss with the “stick in the ground” method. If it’s wet in summer, you might have luck. But, if the soil is dry, probably not. I’ve inserted several twigs into the same area at the same time of year, and where one may take off, a few others may croak. I’ve had better luck inserting into the ground in early autumn-early spring than at other times of the year. I even find potted twig dogwoods kind of putter along if they’re planted in summer, even if they’re watered well through the summer months. Every location and every plant seems to be different. What have you had luck doing? Or, on the other hand, what’s not worked for you?
We pulled out a red dogwood bush which had grown on its own (in an unwanted area) and were thinking about relocating it. The bush was about 4 ft tall and when yanking it from the ground it came apart in 4 different sections with each section (only 2-3 large branches) had a root system as big as a fist. I am soaking the roots for a few hours and was wondering if I should leave the entire stick part intact or cut it back and if so how far. (thinking) the root system would send up new shoots. I can see the small spring buds which I am sure should leaf out this spring if left uncut.
Vivian, Site unseen, it’s difficult to know what’s ideal in a particular situation. However, we’d probably replant as is. That way the plant can utilize any resources in the top growth as it establishes itself in the new location. That means some top growth may die back. If that happens, you could then trim it next year. Good luck!
I Cut red twig dogwood and winterberry branches the last week of March and immediately put them into water. The cuttings were all about 3 feet long. Now, which is mid April some branches are beginning to leaf out. Can I cut off those leafing stems, treat them with rooting powder and try to establish them in soil? If it matters I am in Wisconsin
Karl,
You may very well be able to insert those shoots into the soil and have them take root. (As I write this, I realize you may be getting hit by a blizzard right now. Wait ’til that’s done before you try – obviously.). You may not even need rooting hormones to get red twig dogwood to take root. Good luck!
I purchased bare root red tree dogwood cuttings about 18 months ago. Last summer, most of the cuttings looked like small trees, not shrubs. My questions are:
How long before they start looking like shrubs?
Is there anything that I can do to help them look like shrubs?
Rebecca, Do you mean you purchased red twig dogwood? In any case, so many factors can impact how fast or slow any plant will grow/spread/etc… If they’re truly Cornus sericea, and they’re happy, you’ll likely see new shoots emerging from the soil near the base of the plant come spring. Once new shoots begin emerging, you might consider cutting the “tree” shoot to the ground the following winter. Older shoots like this can end up losing color, so cutting out old shoots completely periodically can help keep the spready/bushy “stoloniferous” nature going strong (& colorful). Good luck!
Hello everyone, My mother has a big red dog wood bush so pretty, love how red it gets. We are from Canada Ontario. I would like to know when is the best time to propagate red dogwood. Can I do it any time of the month? Thank you in advanced.
Daniela, Thanks for writing in. Twig dogwood is pretty forgiving about being propagated at most times of year. Trying in the dead of winter or the highest, driest heat of summer may result in failure, but it’s worth a shot most other times of year. Here, in the PacNW, we can almost always do a proper cutting, shove it in the moist earth & voila! a new plant takes root. If you want more specific information to your region, you might ask a regional Master Gardener or a local nursery for their assistance. Good luck!
A friend gave me a few of her unwanted shoots (with some roots) that had spread from her redtwig dogwoods just now–early January in upstate NY. Not sure if the timing is ideal, but how do you suggest I treat them in order to give them the best chance at survival–pot them up and keep them in basement or unheated garage until the spring? Or even outside in a container in the ground or against the house? Thanks in advance!
Lauren, Given that you probably have some pretty frozen ground in winter, potting them up is probably your best bet. If they’re fully dormant/haven’t tried to leaf out, keeping them indoors might be okay until your planting season begins. If you keep them in an unheated garage, I imagine that freezes too, so it might not do the plants any favors, especially if they’re in pots sitting on a frozen concrete slab. If your ground hasn’t frozen yet, you could pot the the starts up, water them well and then dig holes in a protected spot in the garden and sink the pots into the holes and then pile up a lot of mulch. This might help insulate the roots against heavy freezes. It works well in Western Washington where we’re located, but we also don’t experience significantly heavy freezes. Good luck.
Very helpful advice–thanks so much!
You’re very welcome. Good luck!
Hi there! So much great information here, so Thank You !
My question relates to dogwoods as I have 1 white, 1 pink, and 1 Cousa (sp?). I would like to take a small branch cutting from each and root them for planting new trees, but I’m not sure when and how would be best method? I live in Connecticut… it’s the beginning of May, so our weather is quite damp, rainy, but, sadly, not very warm as yet? Are there any special tips that you can share with me to help me accomplish new trees? Thank you for any advice you can provide and for having a great page of information
Julia, you might try picking up a copy of Dirr’s Reference Manual of Woody Plant propagation for help on this project. It may cover Cornus propagation details. Good luck.
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