We just received one of those picture perfect snowfalls. Each and every branch, twig and stem exquisitely layered with white, sparkling snow.  It doesn’t happen often in my part of Wyoming because our snowfalls are usually accompanied by wind, but yesterday we awoke to still, stormy skies that slowly delivered the snow for most of the day.

Last night the mercury dipped down toward zero fahrenheit and the morning brought blue skies and every frosted tree, bush and grass stem glinted with crispy frost: The perfect morning to relish the Red Twig Dogwoods native to Wyoming. Those bright red stems virtually glow against the white snow.

Cornus sericea is listed as a recommended shrub species in Building Casper’s Urban Forest, a 1914 publication by the Natrona County Ag Extension office. Some of the best ideas are old ideas. Other natives listed are Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry), Potentilla fruticosa (Cinquefoil), Crataegus, Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry),and Shepherdia argentea (Silver Buffalo Berry) – although those last two could also be classified as small trees.