Vivid stems of red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) provide a welcome jolt of winter color in an all-to-often stodgy winter landscape.

This family of shrubby deciduous plants rarely attracts much notice during the spring, summer and early fall. But come November, it’s a different story. All inhibitions disappear, along with any lingering foliage, as these plants flaunt their transformed silhouettes. Once-green stems are now vibrantly colored and stand in sharp contrast to the green and silvery blue shades of nearby evergreens, and the dark tones of soil and mulch.

Several years ago I planted a cultivar called ‘Midwinter Fire’ behind a bench out back. The slender stems of this deciduous shrub are quite magical, eventually evolving into glowing columns of red, scarlet, tangerine and yellow. It has proven to be a steady performer and one of my better investments.

All red-twig cultivars perform best in full sun, but even more important is annual pruning. The deepest, brightest and most striking hues are produced on new wood. For some gardeners, this means razing the entire plant to ground level in late winter. Others prefer to prune away a third of the oldest stems every year, in order to retain a larger presence over the spring and summer.

Total renewal pruning of shrub dogwoods may sound drastic, but these strong growers can don’t miss a beat. It does, however, take nerve to be so darn ruthless.

The first time our plant got the ax occurred quite by accident. My husband had been pruning a laurel hedge directly behind the dogwood. One of the kids called out and he turned, electric chain saw in hand, and inadvertently whacked away more than two-thirds of our shrub.

It looked pretty strange, so I ended up cutting our ‘Midwinter Fire’ down to about a foot in height in late February. It grew back happily and has been performing well ever since, growing steadily (but reasonably) in girth.

It is this tendency to grow new shoots easily that makes red-twig dogwoods such good candidates for renewal pruning, and for annual heavy pruning in general.

While some gardeners cut these plants to the ground every year, experts generally recommend a less drastic approach: selective pruning (cutting, say, one-third to one-half of the oldest stems to the ground, leaving the rest alone) for three years running, followed by renewal pruning (all the way down to the ground) every fifth year. The fourth year is a rest year for your dogwood, with no pruning necessary.

Unsure about how to begin? It’s easy!

1st year: When selective pruning, first identify the oldest, darkest stems. These are typically larger in circumference and have the least amount of color remaining. Remove up to a third of these stems all the way down to the ground.

2nd year: Repeat.

3rd year: Repeat.

4th year: This is a rest year. No pruning!

5th year: Renewal pruning. Cut all stems down to ground level. Or, to help you keep track of your shrub, leave stubs that are somewhere between 4-8 inches tall.

Do remember, however, that the genetics of your particular plant in conjunction with your site and environmental factors, are the ultimate indicators of bright, vibrant stem color.

Here are some terrific cultivars to consider. :

n Cornus alba Argenteo-Marginata’ (‘Elegantissima’):

Sun, part shade, zones 2-8 . White flowers. This is a fairly large, somewhat suckering shrub. The gray-green leaves with white margins are ideal for dappled shade. In winter, after leaf-drop, fiery red stems tell yet another story. First-year stems are the most brilliantly colored, so cut back at the end of winter to promote new growth. Can reach eight feet tall by five feet wide (or more) if left unpruned.

n Cornus alba Aurea: Sun, zones 2-8. White flowers.

This charmer is brilliant in all seasons. Foliage glows gold during the growing season. But as the leaves begin to drop, the red twigs carry on into winter. Small clusters of white flowers in late spring produce pale fruits in summer. Approximately 10 ft. tall and wide if left unpruned.

n Cornus alba Gous

chaltii: Sun, part shade, zones 4-8. White flowers. Green foliage flushed with pink and rimmed with gold makes this an extremely decorative dogwood. Brilliant wine red stems add a strong linear presence to the bed in winter. Eight feet tall by five feet wide, if left unpruned.

n Cornus alba Red Gnome: Sun, part shade, zones 3-8. White flowers. A small red twig dogwood that’s suitable for use in a smaller garden. Especially striking in the winter when the dense red branches are most visible. Three- four feet tall and wide, if left unpruned.

n Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire: Sun, part shade, zoned 6-8. White flowers. Grow this shrub for the fiery stems that begin red at their bases and change to yellow and then orange at their tips. A rounded shrub with some fall color that is at its most beautiful at the end of the year. Cut back in late winter to promote vigorous new growth and to keep the shrub in size. Six feet tall by four feet wide if left unpruned.

n Cornus stolonifera Hedgerows Gold: Sun, part shade, zones 4-8. White flowers. A gift to Northwest gardeners from Oregon’s Hedgerows Nursery. The bright yellow and green variegated foliage drops in November to reveal deep red stems. Six feet tall by 8 feet wide, if left unpruned.

n Cornus sericea Silver and Gold: Sun, part shade, zones 6-8. White flowers. As you may already know, not all shrubby dogwoods sport red branches. This one is perhaps the best of the yellow-stemmed dogwoods for winter twig color.

Boldly variegated leaves of green edged with creamy white make it a superior variety in all seasons. Flowers give way to clusters of white-tinged-with-blue fruits - very ornamental and highly attractive to birds. Foliage turns yellow in autumn.