Cornus alba Sibirica Variegata - Variegated Dogwood

Glossy white-barked branches and twigs, variegated and changing foliage from spring to winter, from grey-green to pink-purple, these are the characteristics of Cornus alba Sibirica Variegata. It has a bushy, ramified habit, meaning that the shoots rise from the base, and is wider than it is tall. It displays discreet flowers, slightly tinged with yellow, in late spring, quickly followed by white to bluish berries at the end of the season. The pale rays of winter reveal the surprising white bark of its virtually naked branches. It is a vigorous and hardy bush, versatile, with a well-branched base even after many years. Ideal for creating an elegant screen, in ordinary soil and full sun.

Cornus alba Sibirica Variegata belongs to the cornaceae family. It hails from Cornus alba, the white dogwood native to Siberia, on the banks of the Amur River, Russia, in leafy and coniferous forests, and Manchuria. It is often found near watercourses, under harsh and contrasting climates that prove its robustness. The "Sibirica Variegata" selection has a spreading, bushy and abundant habit, wider than it is tall. It is a ramified bush, sprouting new branches from the base, until it resembles a thicket. It will grow rapidly to reach 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, with a spread of 3.50–4 m (11.5–13.1 ft). Its branches are white and glossy, both when young and older, and have the advantage of not becoming bare at the base. The deciduous foliage emerges purple in spring, then variegates with grey-green and white, ending with pink margins before leaf fall. The leaves are entire, clearly veined and undulate, measuring approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) in length. The flowers is not its main asset, somewhat discreet, in the form of small white-yellowish flowers arranged in cymes, with a sweet aroma that attracts honey bees in particular. It is followed by fruits in creamy white berries containing oily seeds, which turn bluish when ripe. The lower branches form suckers or root in the soil, without the bush becoming invasive.

Whatever the size and style of the garden, there will always be a place for a dogwood to provide a beautiful decoration. The Sibirica Variegata white dogwood offers interest throughout the year, and its considerable growth makes it suitable for use towards the rear of large flowerbeds, in mixed hedges or even at the edge of woodland to create a transition with the countryside. Pairing with Helianthus, Heliopsis or daylilies will create a delightfully colourful scene. As it is a bush that thrives near water, it can be planted perhaps along with Cornus stolonifera Faviramea with its yellow bark, behind a foreground of astilbes, not far from a pond.