Description:

A compact and narrowly columnar variety characterized by red young twigs in winter, older stems are greenish-gray; fall leaf color is burgundy; flowers and fruit are infrequent; a fine choice for winter landscapes

Ornamental Features

Compressa Dogwood has forest green deciduous foliage on a plant with a columnar habit of growth. The crinkled oval leaves turn an outstanding burgundy in the fall. The red branches are extremely showy and add significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Compressa Dogwood is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Compressa Dogwood is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Vertical Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Compressa Dogwood will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Compressa Dogwood makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.