It's not every day that a 3 ton Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) with razor sharp, serrated teeth terrorizes a sleepy beach village in New England, ravaging bikini-clad swimmers with ambush attacks from the depths of the sea. Nor is it every day that vengeance seeking local authorities wrastle a tank of compressed air into said shark's gaping jaws to explode that man-eater's spiracles to smithereens. But in the summer of 1975, this is precisely what occurred in the small island community of Amity, an heroic tale of the common man bringing overwhelming danger and despair into submission with his bravery and wits. In the aftermath of this remarkable and riveting series of events, a plant was chosen as a warning to other 3 ton Great White Sharks with razor sharp, serrated teeth who might be considering a menu of beach-goers to fill their next ravenous buffet table. Wherever this selection was planted, sharks would know that these folks don't take kindly to their kind 'round here. It was to be a simple sign that said "Ya know what, Screw You, Jaws" in not so many words. It was to be Cornus sanguinea, the Blood Twig Dogwood.
There are a few different Dogwoods with a deep blood-stained crimson twig, but the obvious draw for this particular Dogwood is the yellow to red fade that occurs from the base of the stems. This is a most unique feature and should be used to maintain winter interest in the Garden Manscape, an often forgotten time of year for the fair-weather gardener. Unfortunately the rest of the year is fairly uneventful in the life of the Blood Twig Dogwood, which will allow you to use it as a back border canvas against which the rest of your summer blockbusters are set. Like all Cornus', the Bloodtwig will produce both white flowers and black berries, and develop a woolly coat of deciduous green leafs, though none of these are excessively exciting nor it's party piece.
Cornus sanguinea prefers a Zone 4-7 climate, and more than less sun. Expect these to get somewhere in the 6-12 foot range depending on your maintenance schedule, although it should be noted that twig color is most vibrant in young twigs and fades with age, so a healthy lopping schedule should both keep your Bloodtwig small and bloody... not big and brown. These Dogwoods sucker heavily from the base, so don't be afraid to chop out unruly volunteers to keep your shrub the size you like. You'll also want to keep all your Dogwoods fairly wet, as you'll notice leaf wilt quickly as they begin to get drier and drier.
Bloodtwig is the ultimate choice for winter interest shrub in the Garden Manscape. Let those blood-thirsty aquatic murder machines know who's in charge 'round here. Let 'em know we don't take kindly to their types in these parts. Cornus sanguinea sends the right message every time. Screw You, Jaws. Screw You.
photo credit:
1] http://2penniesworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/jaws_xlg.jpg
2] http://www.fossilcreeknursery.com/shrubs/dogwood-arctic-sun
3] http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxonimage/id140214/?taxonid=40201
4] http://www.onlineplantguide.com/PlantDetails.aspx?Plant_id=649
