i live in sacramento and face the west, i was wondering if i could plant a redtwig dogwood in afternoon to evening sun? burn, tolorate, thrive or die?
Redtwig dogwood cultivars (Cornus alba or Cornus sericea) can take full sun with no problem. Just be sure you can provide enough moisture to keep the plant happy. Mike
Red-Osier Dogwood in the San Joaquin Valley will prefer to have afternoon shade in areas that have soil alkalinity. In alkaline soils we can get a leaf pleach that is a form of sun bleaching that can look much like an iron chlorosis. When the leaves turn color and yellow out on us they will scorch when exposed to hot winds and direct afternoon sun, regardless of how much water we give them. So be mindful of your soil and water pH before placing these in full sun when grown here. To grow it in a Western exposure here it is better to give these Dogwoods some late afternoon shade and some wind protection.. Jim
