Cornus controversa 'VARIEGATA' wedding cake tree, giant dogwood

This giant dogwood has another name which, in my opinion, characterizes the plant much better = wedding cake tree. Looking at the habit of the more commonly grown cultivar Variegata one knows exactly what it means. This beauty can easily become a show-stopping specimen in a garden of literally any style. Its tiered branches look exactly like several layers of a wedding cake and the white-variegated foliage stands for rich sugary icing. Want a piece?

The leaves are elliptic, deciduous, mid green in the middle with rich white margins. They are always pendent and a bit wavy. They emerge bronze pink and gain the pink shade again in early autumn when they fade to pink and yellow. Flowers are 10-15 cm wide, white-green, flat corymbs which are not particularly exquisite but look great in profusion on a mature plant. They come out in mid spring.

This gorgeous small tree (or a large shrub) needs time to show its assets. Deep burgundy red young stems grow rapidly upright first, making 50 or more centimeters per year. But the following couple of years the plant only makes strictly horizontal, 10-20 cm long shoots to fill up the habit. In 3-4 years the plant is strong enough to produce another long shoot upwards and the whole scenario repeats. In 10 years you have a fantastic plant about 2m tall and 1.5m wide.

Dogwood is quite soil adaptable but hates water-logging. For best results grow it in full sun in semi-fertile, slightly moist soil. No fertilizing or pruning will bring you a beautiful plant of a unique shape. Fully hardy to min. -30°C (USDA zone 5), possibly more.

Last update 25-02-2010