Red-osier Dogwood is a free-spreading deciduous shrub which grows from 1-6m (3-20ft) in height. The flowers occur in open clusters and are white to greenish in colour. The stems of young plants are often bright red – hence the name.

It has numerous stems, and its sharp pointed leaves range from 5-10cm (2-4in) in length.

Red-osier Dogwood is a moderately shade-tolerant plant that grows best on moist to wet, nutrient-rich soils. It is often found along stream banks, swamps, and in moist valley bottoms with Black Cottonwood and Red Alder. Red-osier dogwood is an attractive ornamental shrub ideally suited to wetter sections of the garden.

Aboriginal people used it for a variety of purposes. The branches were used for making basket rims, fish traps, weirs, and for drying salmon. The wood was used as a fuel for smoking fish and meat because it imparted a salty flavour. The berries, although bitter, were sometimes mixed with other berries and eaten. A medicinal tea was made from boiling the bark.

Detailed germination instructions are inside the package.