White dogwood

White dogwood: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Shrub of 2–3 m with upright, later slightly arching branches; low branches sometimes root where they touch the ground.

Leaf

Opposite, 5–10 cm, oval with a pointed tip, untoothed, with curved veins; underside bluish-grey. Often variegated. Autumn colour red to purple.

Bark

Young twigs glossy blood-red to coral, especially in winter; older branches greyish-brown.

Flower

Flat heads of yellowish-white flowers in May–June.

Fruit

White to bluish-white berries in late summer; not edible.

Difference from common dogwood

Common dogwood has bluish-black berries, and its twigs only turn red on the sunny side.

Flowering: May–June · Pruning: March–April

Identify by feature: Red autumn colour

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Common dogwood Cornus sanguinea: bluish-black berries and twigs that only turn red on the sunny side. Difference from common dogwood

Why grow it?

• Coral-red twigs that colour the garden in winter.
• Also grows on wet, heavy soil, for instance by a pond or in a low-lying corner.
• Variegated forms brighten partial shade all summer.
• Flowers for insects and white berries for birds.

White dogwood: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in sun the twigs are brightest, while variegated forms also tolerate a little more shade.
• Any soil, ideally moist; also tolerates wet soil.
• Allow 2–3 m width.
• Lovely by a pond, in a moist border or in a group against a dark background, where the red twigs stand out in winter.

Light

Sun or partial shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Moist to wet

Size

2.5 m tall, 2.5 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Silver birch: The white trunk of the birch next to the red twigs: a classic winter picture.
• Winter heath: A pink-flowering ground cover in winter, at the foot of the red twigs.
• Witch hazel: Yellow or orange flowers in winter above the red twigs.
• Purple willow: Also likes wet soil; its purplish twigs go well with the red of the dogwood.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Suits the woodland edge or the light shade of: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple

White dogwood: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from November to March, bare-root or root-balled; pot-grown plants all year round, except in frost or drought.
2. Plant in groups of three or more, 1–1.5 m apart, for a strong winter display.
3. Plant at the same depth as before and firm the soil well.
4. Water generously after planting and keep the soil moist during the first year.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; after that only in long, dry summers, especially on sandy soil.

Feeding

Give some compost after hard pruning: it will then produce vigorous red shoots.

Winter colour

The younger the twigs, the redder they are: without pruning the shrub turns grey and bare.

Spreading

Branches that touch the ground can take root. Cut them off or use them as new plants.

Tip: Cultivars make all the difference: ‘Sibirica’ has brilliant coral-red twigs, ‘Elegantissima’ white-edged leaves, ‘Spaethii’ yellow-edged leaves and ‘Kesselringii’ almost black twigs. Plant ‘Sibirica’ and ‘Kesselringii’ together for a winter scene in red and black.

White dogwood: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: Late March–early April.

How:

• Every year, cut a third of the stems down low, oldest first: this keeps the shrub full of young red twigs.
• For the brightest colour, cut all stems back to 10–20 cm above the ground every other year; it will regrow vigorously in spring.
• On variegated forms, remove stems with plain green leaves right back to where they start.

Caution: Do not prune in autumn or early winter: you would be cutting off the very twigs you want to see. In April, check first that no birds are nesting in the shrub.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Hardwood cuttings

In winter, push 20 cm lengths of one-year-old shoots two thirds of the way into the ground; they root easily.

Layering

Lay a low branch in a shallow trench, cover it with soil and sever it after a year.

White dogwood: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• From leaf fall until the leaves unfurl in April it is at its best: the red twigs glow, especially in snow or in low winter sun.

Diseases and pests

• Dull, grey shrub: Old stems lose their colour. Prune out part of the oldest wood every spring.
• Aphids: Aphids on the shoot tips in spring; ladybirds and hoverfly larvae usually deal with them.
• Powdery mildew: White coating on the leaves in late summer; harmless, clear up the fallen leaves.
• Green shoots on variegated forms: A variegated shrub sometimes produces stems with plain green leaves, which grow more strongly. Remove them during the spring pruning.

Through the year

• January: Red twigs at their best.
• March: Late March: prune, a third of the stems or all of them down low; then add compost.
• April: Early April: last pruning; leaves unfurl.
• May: Flowering begins: yellowish-white heads.
• August: White berries for the birds.
• October: Red to purple autumn colour.
• November: Planting and taking hardwood cuttings.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Shrub for winter colour, even on wet ground; variegated forms brighten shady corners.

For wildlife

Flowers for insects, berries for birds.

Did you know?

• It comes from Siberia, northern China and Korea; ‘alba’ refers not to the twigs but to the white berries.
• The common dogwood trick works here too: tear a leaf gently and thin white threads stay hanging between the pieces.
• In the wild you only very rarely see it here, and then as a shrub that has escaped from a planting.