Cornus alba
Common Name(s):
- Description
-
Tartarian dogwood is a small tree in the Cornaceae family. It has an upright and loose form that arches with long unbranched stems as it agest. It tends to sucker to form large colonies. Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil but it does tolerate a range of soil conditions. The best blood-red color on new stems so remove the oldest stems to encourage growth each winter before leaf-out.
Seasons of Interest:
Foliage: Fall Bloom: Spring Twigs: Winter
Insects, Diseases and Other Problems: Leaf miner and scale are less serious potential insect pests. 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. It is weedy and its suckering can make it difficult to remove so consider a planting site carefully.
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cornus
- Species:
- alba
- Family:
- Cornaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to N. Korea
- 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.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Erect
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Blue
- White
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Description:
- White to bluish drupe in summer
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Cross
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- Modestly showy, yellowish-white flowers with 4 bracts in spring
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Dark green leaves; 2-4.5 in. long; reddish-purple fall color
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Grown particularly for its blood-red stems in winter. Stems can be long an unbranched.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Winter Garden
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Plants that fill a similar niche:
-
Cornus alba 'Argenteo-marginata'
-
Cornus sericea
-
Cornus sanguinea
