Grow dashing dogwoods
Stripped of their leaves, cornus cultivars take on a vital role in the winter garden. Val Bourne shares her favourites
Stripped of their leaves, cornus take on a vital role in the winter garden
No garden should be dull in winter; the slightest ray of sunshine picks up every colour and contour. Colourful stems shine now and one of the most useful is dogwood, or cornus. Their common name comes from ‘dag’, an old-fashioned word for a wooden skewer used by butchers. Our native dogwood Cornus sanguinea is a twiggy shrub found in hedgerows across the country. It’s most noticeable in autumn, when its oval foliage turns a rich damson colour. In winter the twiggy stems hover between orange and red. ‘Midwinter Fire’ is the easiest to find, although ‘Magic Flame’ is often considered the best. Both have Day-Glo twiggy stems in warm orange and pink that almost look like flames licking through the garden. Give them a light trim in late spring to encourage fresh new growth. The most colourful stems belong to Cornus alba (Siberian dogwood). This produces well-spaced, pencil-thick stems and, because it’s stoloniferous, it creeps a little before putting up another stem. Siberian dogwood tolerates wet soil, so it’s often used close to ponds and streams – the bright stems look stunning reflected in still water. Green-leaved C. alba ‘Sibirica’ has the reddest stems. Those of ‘Elegantissima’ are slightly duller but plants come with lovely variegated cream and green foliage. ‘Aurea’ has paler, lime-green leaves. Plant any of these red-stem cultivars with evergreen Aucuba japonica ‘Rozannie’, Daphne laureola or compact gold and green ‘hedgehog holly’ Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea’. Cornus ‘Kesselringii’ has black stems; those of C. sericea ‘Flaviramea’ are golden. If you have space, group several of the same type together for bolder effect. Spring and early summer-flowering dogwoods are grown for their large ‘flowers’ – or rather, showy bracts – in cream or pink. These require a bright but sheltered position and moist, fertile soil. American Cornus florida thrives in hot summers and cold winters so it’s a struggle to get this one to flower. Chinese dogwood (C. kousa) was introduced from Hupeh province by Ernest ‘Chinese’ Wilson in 1907. It’s easier to grow but slow to get going. These showy dogwoods don’t generally need pruning because they grow back very slowly. The easiest is ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ (inset above), covered in showy, ivory-white bracts in late spring. Equally spectacular is C. controversa ‘Variegata’ (the wedding cake tree) whose branches are arranged in tiers. Aim to buy this slow-growing cornus as a larger plant showing the distinctive tiered shape. Then be patient – it’s a slow-fuse plant.
They almost look like flames licking through the garden