Red Stems add color to winter

EP w4 Red Stems in Winter with pic

By Nancy Donovan, Ph.D., PT Master Gardener Volunteer

With the snow that arrived this week, I was finally able to unzip the bag that holds my snowshoes and remove my cross-country ski boots and skis from storage. I always look forward to going outside right after a snowstorm because the air smells fresh and clean. As I create a new pathway through the snow on my snowshoes or skis, I take the time to identify the animal tracks that criss-cross the open area, creating a new highway of sorts.

I also often take some pictures because a friend “from away” asks for pictures of the snow on the trees as she lives in a state where the trees remain free from the collection of white crystals. When I am inside, my attention is grabbed when a red cardinal sits among the white puffs while it waits for a turn at the feeders.

In the previous two columns, I wrote about plants that produce red berries that stand out in the winter. Another source of red color in the winter is that of a native shrub called the Red-osier dogwood (Swida sericea, Cornus sericea). On the website Gardenia.net is the comment “… Red Osier Dogwood certainly adds a WOW! To a winter landscape.” The website for the Native Plant Trust (https:// plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/plant/Swida-sericea) offers