Winter care: we are into the colder months. Protect newly planted or tender specimens from hard frosts, and hold off planting out until the frost risk has passed.
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' is the golden-twig dogwood, the classic yellow-stemmed partner to the red and black winter dogwoods. Through winter its thicket of upright, bare stems glows greenish yellow, brightest on the young wood, and the colour intensifies as the cold deepens. In leaf it is a fresh green, easy-going shrub with small near-white flower clusters followed by white berries.
Hardiness and seasons. Rated H7 by the RHS and holding the Award of Garden Merit, it is hardy below -20C and utterly reliable across the UK. The leaves turn red and orange in autumn, drop, and hand the stage to the yellow stems from November until the new leaves return.
In the garden. It is one of the best shrubs for damp and periodically wet ground, ideal beside ponds and streams and in heavy soil where little else performs, and tough enough for coastal and exposed gardens. Plant it in drifts with the black stems of Cornus alba 'Kesselringii' for a full winter palette, or let it anchor an exotic border through the darkest months.
Live Arrival Guarantee
All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.
Ordering in autumn or winter? Many hardy exotics arrive dormant or cut back right now. This is normal, and the best time to plant.
Seasonal by nature: what to expect
Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.
Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal.
Read what to expect through the seasons
Delivery and returns
See all delivery pricing tiers
Based on your basket total, confirmed at checkout. Free delivery: Economy over £60 · Standard over £100 · Express over £150.
Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.
Outdoor plants are sold by the size of their pot — measured in litres, with the pot diameter in cm.
A larger pot means a more established plant for quicker impact in the garden; a smaller pot is better value and
soon catches up once planted out.
9cm · 0.5L
Young plant
A young, vigorous plant and the most economical way to build up a planting. Give it a season or two and it will romp away.
~13cm · 1L
Starter
A well-rooted young plant, ready to grow on in a border or container. Great value for filling space over a season or two.
~15cm · 2L
Established
A bushier, more established plant with a developed root system — a dependable middle ground that suits most gardens.
~17cm · 3L
Garden ready
A strong, garden-ready plant that establishes quickly and makes a visible difference in its very first season.
~19cm · 5L
Instant impact
A larger, fuller specimen for immediate presence — ideal when you want the planted look straight away.
21cm+ · 7.5L+
Specimen
A mature, substantial specimen — the quickest route to an established, fully planted-up feel.
Pots that fit this plant
We recommend
How to care for Golden-twig Dogwood
Plant me in full sun and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.
In their words
What our customers say
EP
Emily P.
Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.
JR
James R.
Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.
SL
Sophie L.
Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.
Get to know me
About Golden-twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.
Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingExposedSheltered
Full sun or partial shade; winter stem colour is strongest in an open, sunny spot. Handles exposed and coastal positions.
Soil
ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Almost any soil, chalk to clay, acid to alkaline, and exceptionally tolerant of damp and periodically wet ground, so pond margins and heavy soil suit it well.
Watering
Water regularly through the first growing season; established plants rarely need watering and positively enjoy moist ground.Read moreShow less
Water regularly through the first growing season; established plants rarely need watering and positively enjoy moist ground.
Mature size
Height1.5 to 2.5m
Spread2.5 to 4m
Reaches full size in 5 to 10 years
Growth habit
Suckering
Flowering
JFMAMJJASOND
Spring to summer · White
Foliage
Deciduous
Pruning
RHS pruning group 7. Once established, cut all stems back hard in late winter or early spring (February to March), annually or every other year, then feed and mulch. The young regrowth carries the brightest greenish yellow; old unpruned wood dulls.
Toxicity
Not known to be toxic to people or pets; the RHS lists no toxicity warning for this plant.
Native range
North America (garden selection)
Family
Cornaceae
Also known as
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'
Genus
Cornus
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same plant as Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea'?
Yes. Cornus stolonifera is the older name; the RHS and Kew now accept Cornus sericea, so the correct current name is Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'. Some nurseries still list it under stolonifera.
Will it grow in wet soil?
Yes, this is one of its great strengths. It tolerates damp, heavy and periodically wet ground, so it suits pond margins, stream sides and bog-adjacent borders, and it also grows well in ordinary garden soil.
When should I prune it for yellow stems?
Cut the stems back hard in late winter or early spring, around February to March, once the plant has had a season or two to establish. Prune annually for the brightest colour, or every other year for a taller shrub.
How hardy is it?
Extremely. The RHS rates it H7, hardy below -20C, so it stands the coldest winters anywhere in the UK.
Does it hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?
Yes. Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit as a reliable garden performer.
What does it pair well with?
The classic combination is yellow, red and black winter stems together: plant it with Cornus alba 'Kesselringii' and a red-stemmed dogwood so the three glow against each other from November to March.
Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.
If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.
If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.
It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.
If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.
If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.
That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.
Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.
When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.
We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.
Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.
It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.
Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.
Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.
During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.
That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.
The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.
Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
Perfect for Gifting
From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.
Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.
Sustainability at Heart
All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.
19cm / 3L
