Cornus alba Miracle - White dogwood

The Cornus alba 'Miracle' is a variety of small, but remarkably colourful, white dogwood, particularly suited for ornating small spaces and terraces. Its triple-coloured, very pink, young shoots turn to green with cream white and pink margins. In autumn, the leaves are dominated by purple to garnet pink. In winter, the bush offers a naked wood of red colour. The discreet spring blossom is followed by pretty berries of a bluish white color later in the season. Very hardy, undemanding, with all year-round interest, this delightful little white dogwood only has qualities. A must-have!

The Cornus alba Miracle 'VERPAALEN2' belongs to the dogwood family, like all dogwoods. It is a Dutch horticultural creation launched in 2021. Its wild ancestor is native to Siberia, where it is found on the banks of the Amur River as well as in Russia and Manchuria, in moist deciduous and coniferous forests. It is always found near watercourses, under harsh and contrasting climates that testify to its hardiness. The 'Miracle' variety has a bushy, rounded and dense habit, and measures on average 1.10 m (3.8 ft) in all directions at maturity. It is a ramified, fairly slow-growing bush. Its branches are red and shiny, especially when young, and they have the advantage of not becoming bare at the base. The deciduous foliage emerges pink in spring, then variegates into green, cream, and pink, before turning purple before leaf fall. The leaves are full, ovate, clearly veined and undulating, measuring about 5 to 7 cm (2-3 in) in length. Its flowering is not its main asset, being quite discreet, in the form of small yellow-white blooms arranged in cymes, attracting bees. It is followed by fruiting with creamy white to bluish berries containing oily seeds, which turn bluish at maturity. The lower branches form suckers or root into the ground, without the bush being invasive.

Regardless of the size and style of the garden, there will always be a dogwood to provide a beautiful decoration. The white dogwood 'Miracle' is a compact bush that offers a renewing spectacle throughout the year, even when space is limited. Whether integrated into a shrub border, a small mixed hedge, or even placed in a large pot on an urban terrace, it has a great effect. Its association with Caryopteris, shrubby salvias, or autumn asters, which flower late in the season, is very successful. In summer, it accompanies roses and dwarf buddleias, for example.