Cornus alba Neon Burst

Cornus alba Neon Burst is a cultivar of white dogwood, decorative all year round because of its magnificent golden foliage, its small clusters of nectar-rich flowers, its fantastic autumn colours and its brightly coloured red stems, clearly visible in winter. It is a very hardy and vigorous, slightly suckering shrub, with an upright habit that gradually spreads. It will make a great impression when placed in isolation, in a bed, or as a hedge. This dogwood is accommodating in terms of soil, and needs to be sheltered from the scorching sun in hot climates. It is one of the most resilient golden foliage plants there are.

The Neon Burst dogwood belongs to the dogwood family. It comes from Cornus alba, a botanical species native to Siberia and Manchuria, where it is found on the banks of the Amur River, in damp deciduous and coniferous forests. It always grows close to water, under harsh and contrasting climates that are proof of its robustness. The 'Neon Burst' selection shows remarkably yellow-dominated foliage. It is bushy and abundant and naturally reaches a height slightly greater than its width at maturity, but repeated pruning often gives it a low dome-like appearance, wider than it is tall. It is a branched, erect shrub with a thicket-like appearance, reaching approximately 2m (6.6ft) high with a minimum spread of 1.50m (4.9ft). The lower branches produce suckers or root into the ground, without the shrub becoming invasive. Its growth is rapid. Its branches are red and shiny, especially when young. The deciduous foliage appears in spring and falls in autumn. In spring, it emerges as a warm yellow, turning orange, becoming yellow-green in summer, then lemon yellow in September, before transitioning to pinkish-red in autumn. The leaves are entire and clearly veined, with a pointed tip. Its insignificant flowering is not its main asset, in the form of small white-yellowish nectar-rich flowers arranged in cymes followed by creamy white berries containing oily seeds, which turn bluish when ripe.

Regardless of the size and style of the garden, there will always be a dogwood to provide a beautiful decoration. The Neon Burst dogwood offers a changing spectacle throughout the year, and its colours brighten up slightly shaded areas. It can also be used in a mixed hedge or to form an elegant background for perennial or shrub beds. It can be planted on the edge of a woodland to create a transition with the countryside. Its association with Helianthus, Heliopsis, or Hemerocallis will create a very colourful scene. As it is a shrub that thrives near water, it can be planted, with Cornus stolonifera Flaviramea with its yellow bark, behind a foreground of astilbes, not far from a pond. You can also plant this dogwood in a large container (its compact habit allows it).

Tip: Severely prune the stems in late winter, as only the current year's growth is coloured.