Buy Cornus sanguinea 'Compressa'

May be the strangest dogwood but handsome in its own way. The 8'-10' shrub will be multi stemmed and very columnar. The deep green leaves are puckered all summer and quickly cover the shrub

?A remarkable dwarf form? (Hillier), with tiny leaves that are twisted, overlapping and deeply valleyed on a narrow ?compressed? upright 3' plant. S/M

Deciduous, 'Compressa' has subtle and compact green-cream cymes that bloom in late spring and summer. Its habit is very upright and vase-shaped, with small, curled and crinkled, deeply veined dark green leaves in a dense, shingled arrangement. Overall, its impression is rigid, geometric, and extremely textural. Leaves turn deep purple in autumn, and the stems turn from purple to bright red for winter color! Wonderful for a pot or provocative specimen in the garden. This compact and unlikely looking dogwood is quite architectural and would make a good sculptural focal point. Slow growth to 6' tall x 3' wide. Tough. Minimum temperature: -50°F

Interesting, "unique", "strange", "tough", and "distinct" are all words used to describe this red twig dogwood, a very upright and narrow shrub, possibly reaching 6-8 ft x 3-4 ft wide. The leaves are wrinkled, veiny, curly and densely held on the stems, a textured addition to the garden, while the crowded, upright stems offer winter interest. Sun to part shade with regular summer water is best. Frost hardy in USDA zone 4.

One of the most distinct deciduous shrubs around is this tough little mutant dogwood. Intensely columnar and slow with curled leaves held close to the vertical stems. These turn a most satisfying purple in the fall. As far as flowers go, forget about it. Slow growing.