Cornus alba 'Argenteo-marginata'

Variegated Tartarian Dogwood is a large shrub with beautiful variegated foliage. It can be pruned to become a small tree. Plant in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade but tolerates a range of soil conditions. Upright and loose; arching with age; long unbranched stems; suckers to form large colonies.

Remove the oldest stems; the best color on new stems.  Spreads via root, so root trimming may be necessary.

Best in groups or massed. Naturalistic plantings in moist soils where plants are allowed to spread and form thickets. Property line screens. Hedges. Shrub borders. Site shrubs as accents in areas where key ornamental feature, the stem color, can be appreciated.

Seasons of Interest:

       Foliage: Fall    Bloom: Spring   Fruit: Fall, drupes  Twigs: Winter

Wildlife Value: Fruits are attractive to birds and plants provide nesting sites.  Members of the genus Cornus support the following specialized bees: Andrena (Gonandrena) fragilis, Andrena (Gonandrena) integra, and Andrena (Gonandrena) platyparia.

Insects, Diseases and Other Problems: Leaf miner and scale are less serious potential insect pests.  It does not like the heat.  When stressed, is susceptible to a large number of disease problems, most serious is dogwood anthracnose. Other diseases include powdery mildew, leaf spot, canker, root rot, and leaf & twig blight. It can also become vulnerable to borers.