Red Twig Dogwood

This dogwood grows all over around here, & is most noticed at this time of the year because it's such a brilliant color. In the summer it looks like any other green shrub, & has small white flowers that come out around May. The flowers give way to (blue) berries that the birds eat up as fast as they find them! (quite a tasty treat for the birds!). When the days begin to shorten & the temperatures begin to fall, these beautiful tones of red show up as the leaves fall off of the plant. They're really lovely in a vase by themselves, or when added to the greenery in a Christmas wreath! They last a really long time after they're cut, too! :)