Cornus controversa Variegata - Giant Dogwood

Cornus controversa 'Variegata', also known as variegated Pagoda dogwood, is a deciduous small tree that looks like it came straight out of a dream. Its tiered branch silhouette is adorned with glossy foliage, widely variegated with cream, which is covered in summer by snowy, fragrant inflorescences, followed by blue-black, shiny fruits. Its autumn foliage takes on shades of red to violet before revealing, in winter, the perfect architecture of its branches. Over time, and with elegance, it imposes its presence and deserves to be reserved a place in the garden like a work of art, in moist soil without too much limestone.

Cornus controversa 'Variegata' is a variegated cultivar derived from a small tree native, as if it were obvious considering its extremely refined appearance, from China, Korea, and Japan. It simultaneously develops a vertical leading shoot and tiered, horizontal branches, slowly reaching a height of 7 to 8m (23 - 26ft) with a spread of 6m (19ft 8in). Its young reddish branches are covered with deep green foliage edged with cream and white, highly veined and glossy, with the underside being lighter, grayish to bluish. It is the only dogwood, along with Cornus alternifolia, to have alternate leaves instead of opposite ones. They are elliptical, ovate, with a pointed tip, traversed by about 8 parallel veins, and measure 10cm (3.9in) in length. The foliage turns dark red in October and remains vibrant on the tree before falling. While it is magnificent at the end of the season, its flowering from May to June in flattened white cymes is highly ornamental. The large fragrant clusters they form, measuring 10 to 15cm (3.9 - 5.9in) in diameter, come to illuminate the tree while highlighting its unique habit. The flowering is followed by the formation of blue-black berries, 1cm (0.4in) in diameter.

This variegated Pagoda dogwood deserves to be planted as a standalone tree in a short grass meadow, and its modest size is well suited for small spaces. It can, of course, be used in Japanese-inspired scenes where it will blend beautifully with the small Acer palmatum 'Dissectum', Rhododendron yakushimanum, or Pieris japonica 'Forest Flame'. The perennials that accompany it will, like it, prefer moist, slightly acidic soils. In full sun, its base can be covered with Lithodora diffusa, which offers intense blue flowers, and in partial shade, Heucheras and Astilbes will perfectly fulfill this function. In a more minimalist style, it can be used for its graphic appeal, in combination with very simple materials such as concrete or metal, as well as with grasses like Calamagrostis x acutiflora, Helictotrichon sempervirens, Carex comans 'Bronze'. At its base, a fern with an upright habit like Matteucia struthiopteris will create a beautiful contrast with the horizontality of our small tree.