Cornus alba Kesselringii - White Dogwood

The Cornus alba Kesselringii is a type of white dogwood notable for its red-coloured wood that turns dark brown-violet, almost black, clearly noticeable during winter. It also has reddish young leaves and beautiful reddish-brown autumn foliage. During spring, it bears cream-coloured flowers that give way to bluish-white berries. This deciduous shrub has a dense and bushy habit, making it an attractive plant for any garden. It can be planted in a hedge or along a large pathway in garden soil. To maintain its vibrant colour, it is essential to prune the old stems right down at the end of winter, as only the new shoots are coloured.

The white dogwood 'Kesselringii' is a seedling that was discovered in the botanical garden of St. Petersburg in 1905. It belongs to the cornaceae family and comes from the Cornus alba variety native to Siberia. This species can be found on the banks of the Amur River and in humid deciduous and coniferous forests in nature. The shrub always grows near water sources and is known for its strength and ability to survive in harsh and contrasting climates.

The 'Kesselringii' variety is a shrub that grows branches covered with red bark, which becomes darker at the end of the season. It has a bushy and abundant appearance and can grow as tall as it is wide at maturity. However, repeated pruning can give it a wider dome-like shape. At the age of 10 years, it can reach up to 3 metres (9 to 10 ft) in all directions.  This fast-growing shrub has a thicket-like appearance, with young coloured branches being its first asset. Its deciduous foliage consists of opposite, ovate leaves, which are 4 to 8 cm (1.6 to 3.1 in) long. These leaves are tinged with red when they emerge in spring, turn medium green, and end up reddish-brown-purple before falling. The leaves are entire, clearly veined, undulate, and have a pointed tip. Although its flowering is quite discreet, it is nectar-rich and appears as small white-yellowish flowers arranged in cymes. This is followed by fruiting with creamy white berries containing oily seeds that turn bluish when ripe. Moreover, the lower branches of the shrub form suckers or root in the ground without being invasive.

The Cornus alba 'Kesselringi' is a versatile shrub that can grow in any type of soil, including limestone and clay, even if it becomes dry during summer. It can adapt to most climates and is an easy-to-maintain plant, requiring only an annual pruning of old stems near the stump to promote the growth of new, colourful shoots. The shrub can be used as a standalone plant in the centre of a flower bed or combined with other deciduous or evergreen shrubs with dark foliage to enhance the colours of its leaves and branches. It is also perfect for creating a free hedge when combined with viburnums, lilacs, or amelanchiers. In a large garden, it can be planted en masse along a pathway at the edge of the property, or in front of larger evergreen shrubs such as Elaeagnus ebbingei, Photinia, Cypress, laurel, and many others. Since it thrives near water, it can be planted with the Cornus stolonifera Faviramea with yellow bark behind a foreground of astilbes, not far from a pond.