Red-barked dogwood
Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'

Common Name: Red-barked dogwood
Genus: Cornus
Species: alba
Cultivar: 'Elegantissima'
The latin Cornus means ‘horn’, in this case referring to the hard nature of the wood. Alba refers to the white flowers this plant produces.
Category: Shrubs and Sub-shrubs
Growth Rate: Fast growing
Features: Has interesting bark, Provides winter colour
Hardiness: Hardy | Height: 1.80 m (180 cm) |
Sun/Shade: Full sun or Partial shade | Spread: 1.50 m (150 cm) |
Foliage Type: Deciduous | Flower Colour: Cream, White |
Foliage Colour: Green, Variegated, Cream | Flowering Period: May & June |
Soil Type: Normal/Loam or Sandy/Light or Clay/Heavy or Chalky/Alkaline
Soil Moisture: Will tolerant a wide range of soil moisture levels
This deciduous shrub has pretty grey-green leaves with white margins and produces small creamy-white flowers in May and June. But it's really grown for the vivid red stems that are revealed when the leaves fall. This lovely dogwood looks stunning planted in groups in damp areas of the garden beside water or in a winter border. Best in full sun, it works particularly well with orange or purple-stemmed varieties of dogwood.
Garden Care: In March cut the stems back hard to within 5-7cm (2-3in) from the ground and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or horse manure around the base of the plant.
Similar Plants:

Winter Dogwood
Cornus alba ’Aurea’

Wedding Cake Tree
Cornus controversa 'Variegata'

Flowering dogwood
Cornus 'Venus'
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