Marianne's Response

When and how to prune a cornus stolonifera

I have a yellow-twig dogwood that looks more like a tree than a shrub. I would like to cut it back but I’m not sure where to make the cuts. I believe this is the right time of year to prune it. I want to cut back the height and width because it is too big for its location.

Posted by Ruth Kaplan-Kramer on April 2, 2014

Marianne's Response

This type of dogwood is called Cornus stolonifera and also comes in a red twig form. It can be cut back all the way to the ground in early spring so don't be shy. If it is growing too wide you may need to dig out the roots that grow sideways. It will keep stealing real estate as long as it lives so perhaps a barricade under the soil like a fiberglass wall will contain those aggressive underground roots. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti