Common Dogwood Hedge

Cornus sanguinea

Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a native UK hedging shrub with dark red winter stems, white summer flowers, black berries and deep red autumn leaves.

It is one of the best wildlife plants for a native hedge, copes with damp, heavy and chalky soils, and is the most economical of our Dogwoods. Bare root from £1.20, or pot grown.

Compare our Dogwood hedging.

UK native
Flowers and berries for wildlife
Rich red autumn colour
Bare root from £1.20

Growth Rate Medium 20-40cm per year

Overall Height Small up to 3 metres

Plant Position Partial Shade, Full Sun

Root Types Pot Grown, Bare Root

Choose your plants

Common Dogwood Hedge Root Types

Choose from our range of Common Dogwood Hedge sizes and root types below.

Bare Root Best value · Dormant season From £1.20 per plant
Pot Grown Flexible · Available year-round From £7.95 per plant

Selected root type

Bare root Common Dogwood hedging

From £1.20 per plant 3 heights to pre-order

By far the most cost effective and environmentally friendly way to plant a new hedge, bare root hedging is normally available between November and April. No need for plastic pots, these plants are extra-kind to the environment

Planting window

Availability

In Season
Pre Order
Out Of Season

Step 2

Choose your height

Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.

Available height

40-60cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £200
Box delivery
£1.20
£1.20 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

7 plants per metre recommended
Shipping from NOV 2026

Available height

60-90cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £200
Box delivery
£2.20
£2.20 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

7 plants per metre recommended
Shipping from NOV 2026

Available height

90-120cm

Bare Root options

Bare Root
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £300
Large box delivery
£2.80
£2.80 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

6 plants per metre recommended
Shipping from NOV 2026

Choosing your Common Dogwood plants

Bare-root plants are the cheapest way to plant a hedge and are delivered from November to March; pot-grown plants can be planted at any time of year. Prices checked 27 October 2026.

Root type	Size	Price each	Plants per metre	When
Bare root	40–60cm	£1.20	7	November to March
Bare root	60–90cm	£2.20	7	November to March
Bare root	90–120cm	£2.80	6	November to March
Pot grown	40–60cm	£7.95	5	All year
Pot grown	80–100cm (5 litre)	£14.95	5	All year

Why plant a Common Dogwood hedge?

A true native

Common Dogwood is a natural part of British hedgerows, so it blends into the countryside and suits native and mixed wildlife hedges.

Food for wildlife

Clusters of white flowers in early summer feed bees and other insects, and the black berries that follow feed birds in autumn.

Colour through the seasons

The leaves turn deep red in autumn, and the bare stems glow dark red, especially on the sunny side, through winter.

Our Dogwoods compared

	Winter stems	Native	Flowers and berries
Common Dogwood	Dark red-green	Yes	White flowers, black berries
Red Stemmed Dogwood	Bright crimson	No	White flowers, white berries
Yellow Stemmed Dogwood	Yellow-green	No	White flowers, white berries
Midwinter Fire Dogwood	Orange, yellow and red	No (a form of Common Dogwood)	White flowers, black berries

For brighter winter stems, see Red Stemmed Dogwood or Midwinter Fire Dogwood.

Choosing the right hedge

Is Common Dogwood right for you?

A great choice if you want:

A native or wildlife hedge
Damp, heavy, clay or chalky soil
Mixing with other native hedging
A long hedge at low cost, bare root

Consider another hedge if:

Year-round privacy (it is deciduous)
The brightest winter stem colour (choose Red Stemmed Dogwood)
A crisp, formal clipped hedge

Compare our Dogwoods

Buying help

Buying FAQs

What size Common Dogwood should I buy?

40–60cm bare-root plants are the best value and establish quickly. Choose 60–120cm for more height, or pot-grown plants to plant outside the bare-root season.

How many Common Dogwood do I need per metre?

Plant 40–90cm bare-root plants at 7 per metre and 90–120cm at 6 per metre. Pot-grown plants go in at 5 per metre. The calculator on this page works out the total.

Is Common Dogwood native to the UK?

Yes. Cornus sanguinea is a UK native and a common hedgerow shrub, which is why it is included in several of our native hedge mixes.

Is it good for wildlife?

Yes. Its early summer flowers feed bees and other insects, and its black berries feed birds in autumn.

When is bare-root Dogwood delivered?

Bare-root plants are lifted while dormant and delivered from November to March. Pot-grown plants can be planted at any time of year.

Can I use it in a mixed hedge?

Yes. It works well with Hawthorn, Hazel and Guelder Rose, and is included in our Horse Safe, Thornless and BN11 native hedge mixes, sold by the metre.

Helpful guides