Their really about the same as any other shrub as far as growth rate (most people buy them as bare root stock with roots - this summer its really about building roots on these cuttings), and they (RO) are fairly fast growing, these were planted two months later than they should have been so they are not showing what I would call a normal amount of growth. Had the cuttings been put in the soil in early May they would likely be a foot to two foot tall by now, next year they will take off and be two foot plus. I wouldnt really say red osier gets bushy - its more limb/branchy and gets a bush like look from clusters of stems with branches clumped together, once multiple shoots come up they start to really get that bush look but it takes a few years to get to there... after being heavily browsed and chewed back it gets somewhat bushy which is what im looking for with these plantings. For one I like the color in the landscape and two deer browse the hell out of it lastly any that do get older produce berries that are good for other wildlife but that is only a end point benefit.
Im going for a volume thing with these and wont be hiding them at all - their for browse and the goal is for them to get eaten and held back I really dont care if they get tall and actually would prefer them to get munched on. The goal is to plant enough volume that the deer do not wipe them out but keep them in check. Once red osier gets bigger/older it starts to lose its distinctive red color and I intend to cut it back to keep young new shoots coming up.
I plan on planting them as part of my goal of feathered out edging of wood lines and shrub areas; areas where I can every so often mow or cut them back if they get to tall ... in some other areas I intend to create browse corridors with these and other browse preferred shrubs.
