February Plant of the Month
Cornus servicea 'Flaviramea'
by Hazel Bost
Gardener
The yellow twig dogwood, a medium-sized shrub with deep green foliage and tiny white flowers, can fade into the landscape during spring and summer. This sweet and subtle plant only unveils its true showstopping power in autumn, when brilliant golden leaves fall to reveal an equally vibrant yellow stem. With a mature height of five to six feet it makes an excellent hedge, especially when combined with red twig dogwoods to create alternating mounds of stunning winter color.
Yellow twig dogwood is native to much of North America and serves as food and shelter for songbirds, bees, and butterflies, including several species of mining bees native to North Carolina. Cold hardy and deer resistant, it adapts well to a variety of soil types and will thrive in full sun to partial shade. Our specimen can be found on the edge of the Lowland Meadow between the Japanese Garden Vignette and the hoop frame.
