Variegated Red Twig Dogwood
Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'
Variegated leaves, attractive berries, stunning fall color and showy red stems in winter make this Dogwood a shrub for all seasons! This vigorous, adaptable plant will form a thicket of upright blood red stems. Gray-green leaves have a creamy white margin. Berries are white, often tinged with blue and green. Ideal for naturalizing. Stem and leaf color is best in full sun. Deciduous.
| Botanical Pronunciation: | KOR-nus AL-ba el-e-gan-TIS-i-ma |
| Key feature: | Year-round Interest |
| Plant type: | Shrub |
| Garden style: | Asian/Zen |
| Deciduous/evergreen: | Deciduous |
| Cold hardiness zones: | 2 - 8 |
| Light needs: | Partial to full sun |
| Sunset climate zones: | 1 - 9, 14 - 24 |
| Water Needs: | Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. |
| Average landscape size: | Moderate grower to 6 to 8 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide. |
| Growth rate: | Moderate |
| Flower attribute: | Fragrant |
| Special features: | Attractive Bark, Attracts Birds, Dramatic Foliage Color, Fall Color, Ornamental Berries, Year-round Interest |
| Landscape uses: | Border, Very Wet Areas, Woodland Garden |
| Flower color: | White |
| Blooms: | Late spring to summer |
| Foliage color: | Variegated |
| Item no.: | 2773 |
| Retailers for this plant: |
Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Pruning time: spring.
Design Ideas
Plant among low-growing evergreen shrubs with contrasting colors of lime, yellow and gold to help the blood-red stems of the Dogwood stand out in the winter landscape. Site next to ponds for a colorful reflection or plant in mass as an eye-catching front border to a natural wooded area. Cut down the stem in late winter for a new flush of red growth.
Companion Plants
Plant with Peony, Holly, Mukdenia and Camellia in an Asian tranquility garden. Low growing evergreen shrubs with yellow foliage like Golden Privet, Arborvitae and Juniper offset the red stems well in winter. A variety of naturalizing perennials like Houttuynia, Black-eyed Susan and Deutzia all complement the variegated leaves and colorful stems.
History
Cornus alba is native to Siberia and Northern China. The word Dogwood comes from dagwood, due to the use of their slender stems to make daggers or skewers. The first tennis racket designs were made from thin strips of the Dogwood bark. The berries are slightly toxic to humans, but are a favorite of many bird species.
Variegated leaves, attractive berries, stunning fall color and showy red stems in winter make this Dogwood a shrub for all seasons! This vigorous, adaptable plant will form a thicket of upright blood red stems. Gray-green leaves have a creamy white margin. Berries are white, often tinged with blue and green. Ideal for naturalizing. Stem and leaf color is best in full sun. Deciduous.
Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Pruning time: spring.
Design Ideas
Plant among low-growing evergreen shrubs with contrasting colors of lime, yellow and gold to help the blood-red stems of the Dogwood stand out in the winter landscape. Site next to ponds for a colorful reflection or plant in mass as an eye-catching front border to a natural wooded area. Cut down the stem in late winter for a new flush of red growth.
Companion Plants
Plant with Peony, Holly, Mukdenia and Camellia in an Asian tranquility garden. Low growing evergreen shrubs with yellow foliage like Golden Privet, Arborvitae and Juniper offset the red stems well in winter. A variety of naturalizing perennials like Houttuynia, Black-eyed Susan and Deutzia all complement the variegated leaves and colorful stems.
History
Cornus alba is native to Siberia and Northern China. The word Dogwood comes from dagwood, due to the use of their slender stems to make daggers or skewers. The first tennis racket designs were made from thin strips of the Dogwood bark. The berries are slightly toxic to humans, but are a favorite of many bird species.
| Botanical Pronunciation: | KOR-nus AL-ba el-e-gan-TIS-i-ma |
| Key feature: | Year-round Interest |
| Plant type: | Shrub |
| Garden style: | Asian/Zen |
| Deciduous/evergreen: | Deciduous |
| Cold hardiness zones: | 2 - 8 |
| Light needs: | Partial to full sun |
| Sunset climate zones: | 1 - 9, 14 - 24 |
| Water Needs: | Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. |
| Average landscape size: | Moderate grower to 6 to 8 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide. |
| Growth rate: | Moderate |
| Flower attribute: | Fragrant |
| Special features: | Attractive Bark, Attracts Birds, Dramatic Foliage Color, Fall Color, Ornamental Berries, Year-round Interest |
| Landscape uses: | Border, Very Wet Areas, Woodland Garden |
| Flower color: | White |
| Blooms: | Late spring to summer |
| Foliage color: | Variegated |
| Item no.: | 2773 |