Cornus alba

despite there being loads of info on the internet, I really prefer the advice on this forum. It's nice to be able to actually ' speak ' to someone. This Cornus is about ten years old, I'd say. I really only bought it to grow and cover the fence at the bottom of my garden; I just liked the colour of the leaves! I now know that these plants are generally bought for their winter stem colour. With that in mind, and whilst I am being 'prune-crazy' in the garden, is it right that I should cut this right back to the base, again. Just wondering what it would do if I just left it. Last year, I cut it back very hard and did panic as to whether it would grow back. Thanks...

 

When I had it in my previous garden I trimmed it/pruned it late March.
If you do it now, you wouldn't get the joy of those beautiful red stems during late winter; snip-snip gone!

 

I used to do mine about the same time. The one thing that should be attended to at the same time are the lower branches that touch the ground. These have a tendency to root.

 

Yep, March is good...just before the leaves emerge. It's worth giving it a good feed and soak afterwards, though, to keep it strong and healthy.

 

Beautiful! I'm going to leave some branches and cut some! Thanks...
Am just posting my last ' what the hell is this post'

 

I admit to being a bit sad about the fact that mine had to be removed due to the new drains I laid last year. They gave colour all year round.

 

You only had to move them ... not kill them!!

 

have these, never pruned, not planning to prune them, do not see a need.

 

There was nowhere else to put them. They couldnt go back where they were due to the positioning of a black water pump.

 

can't upload this neat picture of clear ice hanging from the red branches of this shrub. oh, well.