Cornus are widely planted and established. For this page we are assuming there are two distinct species. However there are varieties of both which can confuse especially with the colour of the stems.
Cornus sericea - Red-osier Dogwood
This bush has dark red twigs, The leaves are long and tapering with 5 - 6 pairs of lateral veins. The berries (drupes) are white. This is the commoner species in Lanarkshire.
Cornus sanguinea - Dogwood
This bush has greenish twigs which can be bright red on the sunlit side. The leaves are broader and have 3 - 4 pairs of lateral veins. The drupes are black.
ICornus sericea NS860 May2015 PW
ICornus sericea NS860 May2015 PW
The leaves taper smoothly to the tip and there are 6 veins on one side and 5 on the other,
This clearly shows the difference in the colour of the twigs. They may however be different varieties of the same species.
Cornus sanguinea and Cornus sericea NS7656 30Mar2018 PW
