Cornus alternifolia Golden Shadows - Pagoda Dogwood

Cornus alternifolia Golden Shadows, or Golden Shadows alternate-leaved dogwood, forms a graceful bush with spreading and horizontal branches, covered with ever-changing gold variegated foliage that takes on fantastic shades throughout the seasons. Margined with gold, it is tinged with red-orange in spring, greener in summer, and purplish in autumn. Its cream-coloured flowering is fragrant, and the purple berries that follow are a delight for birds. This deciduous and hardy shrub prefers cool climates, soils that are not too dry and not very chalky, and exposure to full sun or partial shade.

Cornus alternifolia Golden Shadows belongs to the Cornaceae family. It comes from Cornus alternifolia, native to the eastern United States and Canada, from western Newfoundland to southern Manitoba and Minnesota, and from the south to the north of Florida and Mississippi. It is found growing under deciduous trees, as well as at the edge of forests and near swamps, in harsh and contrasting climates that are proof of its robustness. The Golden Shadows selection has a spreading bushy habit and tiered branches. It is a sparsely branched shrub, with a 'pagoda' appearance, reaching a height of 3m (9ft 10in) and a spread of 2m (6ft 7in). Its growth is quite slow. The deciduous foliage emerges red-orange margined with yellow in spring, before variegating with iridescent green and white, and finally turning purple with violet margins before leaf fall, more pronounced in colder temperatures. The leaves are entire, distinctly veined and undulate, measuring about 10cm (3.9in) in length. Its flowering is not its main feature, rather discreet, in the form of small white-cream flowers arranged in cymes of 10 to 15cm (3.9 to 5.9in) in diameter, fragrant and melliferous. It is followed by fruiting with blue-black berries on red stems, containing oily seeds. These fruits turn purplish when ripe and are highly appreciated by songbirds.

Regardless of the size and style of the garden, there will always be a dogwood to provide a beautiful decoration. 'Golden Shadows' dogwood offers an ever-changing spectacle throughout the year, which deserves to be installed as a standalone plant. It will create beautiful autumn beds, mixed hedges with witch hazels or Japanese maples in acidic soil, or at the edge of woodlands in the company of Hydrangea quercifolia or winged Euonymus in more neutral soil. All these shrubs are perfect for creating a transition with the countryside. Its association with Helianthus, Heliopsis or daylilies will create a very colourful scene. As it is a shrub that thrives near water, it can be planted, with Cornus stolonifera 'Faviramea' with yellow bark, behind a foreground of Astilbes, not far from a pond.