Giant dogwood

Cornus controversa

In other languages: Etagekornoelje (Nederlands) · Cornouiller des pagodes (Français)

The giant dogwood comes from China, Japan, Korea and the Himalayas. It is a spreading tree or large shrub that stands out for its unusual habit: the branches grow almost horizontally, in distinct layers or tiers one above the other. In May–June, flat creamy-white flower heads sit on top of these tiers and attract bees and other insects. Small blue-black berries for the birds follow, and in autumn the leaves turn red to purple. The best-known cultivar is ‘Variegata’, with white-edged leaves; it stays smaller and grows more slowly.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand or loam
acid to neutral
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -28 °C
Size
10 m
tall, 10 m wide
Flowering
May–June

Key facts
Pruning months	November–January
Height	10 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees and birds
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	May–June

Identify

Giant dogwood: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Spreading tree or large shrub with a central trunk and horizontal branches in tiers; up to about 10 m tall and as wide.
Leaf: Ovate to elliptic, 6–13 cm, with curved veins, alternate along the shoots and clustered towards their tips; glossy green, turning red to purple in autumn.
Flower: Small creamy-white flowers in flat heads up to 15 cm across in May–June, without the large bracts of some other dogwoods.
Fruit: Small, round blue-black berries in late summer, on red stalks.
Shoots: Young shoots reddish to purple; the side branches arise in whorls around the trunk and spread almost horizontally.
Roots: Fairly shallow: it dislikes drought and digging around its base.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and October–December · Pruning: November–January

In your garden

Why grow it?

An architectural silhouette of horizontal tiers: a focal point all year, even when bare in winter.
Masses of creamy-white flower heads in May–June, much visited by bees.
Blue-black berries in late summer, eagerly eaten by birds.
Fine autumn colour in red and purple.
Low maintenance: it needs hardly any pruning.

Giant dogwood: where does it grow best?

Sun or partial shade; in full sun the soil must stay moist.
Humus-rich, well-drained soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral.
Moist: not too dry, but not waterlogged either.
Sheltered from strong winds, which can damage the long horizontal branches.
Give it plenty of room, up to 10 m across: standing alone in a lawn shows off the silhouette best.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Sand or loam
Acidity: Acid or neutral
Moisture: Normal
Size: 10 m tall, 10 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -28 °C)

Goes well with

Brunnera: Blue spring flowers and large leaves under the crown.
Hosta: Large leaves in the light shade beneath the tiers.
Ferns: Fine, fresh green that softens the horizontal lines of the branches.
Wood anemone: A white carpet in March–April under the still bare branches.
Daffodil: Flowers in spring, before the tree’s leaves cast shade.

Maintenance

Giant dogwood: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–December.

Plant in March–April or from October to December, when the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix some compost or leaf mould into the excavated soil.
Set the tree at the same depth as it was in the pot: the root collar stays at soil level.
For a larger tree, drive in an angled stake on the windward side and tie the trunk loosely.
Firm the soil well and water straight away with a few buckets.
Spread a mulch of leaf mould or wood chips around the base, without touching the trunk.

Care

Water: For the first two years, water regularly in dry spells. Later on it still appreciates an extra bucket in long droughts.
Feeding: A layer of compost in spring is enough.
Mulching: A layer of leaf mould each spring keeps the shallow roots cool and moist.
Leading shoot: Keep one continuous leader: it creates the beautiful tiers. Remove a competing leader on a young tree.
Underplanting: Under the crown, use only shallow-rooted shade plants and do not dig.

Tip: Stand it alone in a lawn or at the edge of a large terrace so you can see the tiers from all sides. Keep one continuous leader and prune as little as possible.

Giant dogwood: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November–January.

When: Prune as little as possible. If you must, do it while the tree is dormant, from November to January.

How:

Remove only dead, damaged or crossing branches.
Keep one central leader; cut out a second leader on a young tree.
Do not shorten the horizontal branches: you would lose the tiered shape.
To walk under the tree, remove a whole lower tier rather than pieces of branches.
On ‘Variegata’, all-green shoots sometimes appear: cut them out at their base.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed: Remove the flesh from the berries and sow the seed in autumn in a pot outdoors. It germinates after the winter, sometimes only after two winters.
Grafting: The variegated ‘Variegata’ is grafted in nurseries onto a seedling of the species; it is a job for professionals.

Giant dogwood: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −28 °C.

Very hardy, to about −28 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
Late spring frost can sometimes damage the young leaves; the tree usually re-sprouts afterwards.
Bare in winter, the tiered silhouette stays attractive, especially with frost or snow on the branches.
A young tree in a pot: wrap the pot in hessian and stand it in a sheltered spot against a wall.

Diseases and pests

Drought: Limp or brown, dried-out leaves in hot summers. Water generously at the base and mulch.
Leaf spots: Brown or purple spots on the leaves in wet summers. Clear up affected fallen leaves and choose an airy spot.
Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Ladybirds usually deal with them; otherwise spray off with water.
Broken leader: Without a leader the crown becomes untidy. Choose a new upright shoot as leader and tie it to a cane for a while.
Bark damage: Wounds from mowers or strimmers weaken the tree. Keep a grass-free circle around the trunk.

Through the year

January: Dormant. Prune if needed: remove dead or crossing branches.
March: Plant. Apply compost and mulch.
April: Plant. Water young trees in dry spells.
May: Flowering begins. Watch for aphids.
June: Flowering. Water in dry spells.
July: Water in dry spells.
August: Berries ripen; birds come to eat them.
September: Pick berries and sow the seed in a pot outdoors.
October: Autumn colour. Plant.
November: Plant. Prune if needed.
December: Plant in mild weather. Prune if needed.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.
Birds: Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

You and this species

Did you know?

Unlike almost all other dogwoods, its leaves are alternate rather than opposite. Only the American Cornus alternifolia shares this feature.
The variegated ‘Variegata’ is known in English as the wedding cake tree: its tiers of white-edged leaves recall a tiered cake.
The tiers form because each set of side branches arises in a whorl around the trunk and spreads almost horizontally.

Garden plants · All species