Cornus alba

Cornus alba

Tatarian Dogwood

(Cornaceae - Dogwood Family)

FEATURES

Form

medium-sized ornamental shrub
on average, maturing at about 8' tall by 8' wide, but the many forms available include dwarf as well as larger forms
upright oval to upright rounded growth habit in youth, becoming either arching and spreading or open and straggly with age
rapid growth rate

Culture

full sun to partial shade
prefers evenly moist, well-drained soils in full sun, but is adaptable to many conditions, including wet soils, dry soils, poor soils, compacted soils, and soils of various pH
propagated primarily by rooted stem cuttings
Dogwood Family, with several serious disease (crown and stem canker, twig blight, leaf spot) and pest (borer, scale) problems, which can lead to individual stems dying or a general decline in vigor
abundantly available in container or ball and burlap form
performs best when regularly thinned (or rejuvenation pruned to just above ground level every second to third year) to promote compactness, upright growth habit, canopy air circulaton, larger and more intensely variegated leaves (where applicable) and stout new colorful stems in Winter
Tatarian Dogwood is somewhat sensitive to being transplanted in Autumn, and care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately, and avoid Winter salt spray, to enhance survival chances during the first Winter (this advisory is less critical for those shrubs transplanted from containers, rather than root-pruned ball and burlap specimens)

Foliage

medium to dark green (with variegated forms available), opposite, elliptical, with an acute tip, and with the major leaf veins parallel to the curving leaf margins
fall color is green, chartreuse, or greenish-purple and not showy

Flowers

miniature cream flowers are arranged into flat-topped inflorescences of about 2" in diameter
initially flowering in late May and early June, appearing after full foliage development, and sometimes sporadically flowering in September and October
often sparsely flowering and not especially showy; in addition, if pruned to the ground in late Winter, it will not flower in late Spring, as flower buds are set on wood from the previous year's growth

Fruits

creamy white, sometimes tinged with blue
terminal clusters of fruits mature from June through August and are not persistent, either abscising or attracting birds which devour them

Twigs

colorful stems exhibit their best Autumn and Winter color when juvenile (from the current and previous season's growth); branches older than two years become off-color and much less attractive in Winter
stems are often numerous, radiating from the base of the shrub, and usually do not have very many lateral shoots
subtle leaf scars encircle the stems, as is typical of most Dogwoods

Trunk

not applicable

ID Summary

elliptical to ovate leaves may be either solid green or variegated, with veins curving and parallel to the entire margins
inflorescences are flat-topped, creamy white, and give rise to creamy-white round fruits which are readily eaten by the birds in mid- to late Summer
stems develop intense coloration in Autumn and Winter (usually red) and may be quite showy, especially if the shrub is pruned to the ground every other year, to promote juvenile growth and thicker stems

USAGE

Function

mass or group plantings, borders, foundations, embankments, erosion control, non-thorny informal hedges, and at the edge of bodies of water; ornamental Winter stem interest may also occur in these situations for those cultivars whose stems are showy

Texture

medium texture in foliage and when bare
open to average density in foliage and when bare

Assets

ornamental Winter stem interest (either red or yellow, subtle or prominent)
some cultivars have variegated foliage
rapidly-growing shrub
wet site tolerant or dry site adaptable

Liabilities

serious disease and pest problems, including cosmetic leaf spot (very obvious under wet conditions, sometimes leading to near-complete defoliation), twig blight or crown canker (leading to stem die-back or whole plant death), and borers/scales (leading to decline in vigor)

Habitat

zones 2 to 7
native to Northeastern Asia

SELECTIONS

Alternates

deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs with Winter appeal (Chionanthus retusus, Cornus racemosa, Corylus avellana 'Contorta', Hamamelis x intermedia, Myrica pensylvanica, etc.)
variegated deciduous shrubs (Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea 'Rose Glow', Salix integra 'Hakuru Nishiki', Weigela florida 'Variegata', Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard', etc.)
rapidly growing shrubs (Cotinus coggygria, Forsythia x intermedia, Lonicera maackii, Salix pupurea, Weigela florida, etc.)
wet site tolerant shrubs (Cornus racemosa, Hamamelis vernalis, Lindera benzoin, Salix purpurea, etc.)

Variants

many times cultivars of Cornus sericea (Redosier Dogwood) are listed under Cornus alba or vice versa, with the two species often confused and used interchangeably in the nursery industry; the following list includes cultivars of both; please note that best Winter stem color for all of these forms is best achieved by pruning the entire plant to near ground level in early Spring every second or third year, once the plants become established (at two-thirds of the mature height and width) in the landscape
Cornus alba 'Bailhalo' (also known as 'Ivory Halo') - Ivory Halo Dogwood - a more refined and compact form of Silver-Edge Dogwood, slowly growing to 5' tall by 7' wide, rapidly replacing 'Elegantissima' in the nursery trade; stems are red in Winter but very thin, and foliage does develop leaf spot
Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' (also known as 'Argenteo-marginata') - Silver-Edge Dogwood - the standard variegated form, possesses green-gray foliage with white to creamy variegated margins, having somewhat graceful windswept branching with maturity, often placed in partial sun to partial shade where it brightens a shadowy area, rapidly maturing at 8' tall by 8' wide, but often becoming straggly with age and in need of rejuvenation pruning; stems red in Winter but rather thin
Cornus alba 'Gouchaultii' - Mottled Dogwood - its variegated foliage includes yellow, rose, and white shades in contrast with the green, to 7' tall by 7' wide; stems dark red in Winter
Cornus alba 'Sibirica' - bright coral red stout stems in Winter and blue fruits in Summer; unfortunately several forms of differing quality are sold as this cultivar in the nursery industry, to 6' tall by 6' wide
Cornus sericea 'Baileyi' - dark red to blood-red stout stems in Winter, probably the most common red-stemmed form available, to 8' tall by 8' wide
Cornus sericea 'Cardinal' - bright cherry-red to coral-red stout stems in Winter, to 8' tall by 8' wide
Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' - Yellowtwig Dogwood - golden yellow stems in Winter, to 8' tall by 8' wide, but not as vigorous as redstemmed cultivars, and more prone to stem canker
Cornus sericea 'Isanti' - bright red stout stems in Winter, slowly growing to 5' tall by 8' wide
Cornus sericea 'Kelseyi' - dwarf form slowly maturing at 2.5' tall by 2.5' wide, serves as an excellent foliage facer shrub (to hide the legginess of other tall shrubs) or as a small shrub in group plantings; stems are dull red, thin, and more numerous than other cultivars
Cornus sericea 'Silver and Gold' - cream variegated leaves in Summer are replaced by yellow stems in Winter, to 6' tall by 8' wide

NOTES

Translation

Cornus is the Latin name for Dogwood.
alba translates as white, indicative of the ripe fruit color.

Purpose

Tatarian Dogwood is a rapidly growing shrub for Winter stem interest, and, in some cultivars, for showy variegated Summer foliage.

Summary

Cornus alba and the closely related Cornus sericea are deciduous shrubs which often exhibit Winter appeal due to their dormant stem color (red, coral, or yellow); they are fast growing and adaptable to wet sites, with some cultivars also known for their showy leaf variegation or dwarf size.