A celebration of colourful Cornus
The HTA Plant of the Moment highlights reliable and trustworthy plants that are guaranteed to perform well in almost any garden - providing garden centres with an insight into what are the hottest plants of the month.
Print8 November 2017
To create a beautiful garden with year-round appeal it’s essential to pick the best plants, and few celebrate the seasons more than colourful cornus which is why cornus has been chosen as the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) Plant of the Moment for November.
Commonly called dogwoods, these reliable and hardy shrubs provide a luscious leafy backdrop to summer flowers. As a final fanfare their foliage is transformed into a rainbow of colours through autumn before fluttering away to reveal brilliant wand-like stems.
This seasonal transformation is just the start of a host of new planting partnerships that can be enjoyed right through until spring. During winter the brightly coloured stems of dogwoods catch sunlight to create dazzling displays.
Small gardens might only have space for a single plant, so position it where the low piercing winter sunlight will shine through, catching stems in its spotlight.
Different varieties have been given names like ‘Winter Beauty’ and ‘Midwinter Fire’ as the intense rays of the sun really bring those fiery-coloured stems to life.
Examine the whole range of shrubby dogwoods to discover varieties with different foliage and stem colour combinations from “Flaviramea” with green leaves and golden-yellow stems, “Spaethii” with variegated, yellow-edged green leaves and red stems, or the white margined leaves and red stems of “Elegantissima”.
In addition, many shrubby dogwoods also carry clusters of tiny flowers through summer. These are usually a creamy-white colour, and these often lead on to form dense heads of white berries in autumn.
©Adam Pasco Media
Shrubby dogwoods grow well in almost any soil, even moist sites and heavy clay ground. They’ll grow best in a sunny position, but will tolerate some shade. Contrasting colours always work well when developing planting combinations, so consider planting groups of two or more dogwoods together.
Planting dogwoods in large patio containers create seasonal displays with a difference, under-planting them with low winter bedding, leafy perennials and small shrubs.
There are dozens of plants to choose from as partners for dogwoods. Some can be planted behind them as a background to enhance the visibility of their stems, while others provide flowering companions through winter.
Several low growing plants, like bergenia and heuchera, can be planted around clumps to carpet the ground, or underplant with early flowering bulbs like snowdrops, crocus and narcissus.
Cornus are a wide and varied family of shrubs and small trees, so if dogwoods take your fancy check out the rest of the family to discover other great garden performers like the Wedding Cake Tree (Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’) and flowering trees like Cornus kousa and Venus.
Cornus mas, the Cornelian Cherry, forms tiny clusters of yellow flowers on bare winter stems that turn into glossy-red cherry-like fruits later in summer.
Choose carefully and your garden displays really will become a celebration of colourful cornus.
Popular Dogwood Varieties for the Garden
For summer foliage and winter stems:
- Cornus alba varieties – such as ‘Elegantissima’, ‘Aurea’, ‘Spaethii’, and Siberian dogwood ‘Sibirica’
- Cornus sericea varieties – such as Golden-twig dogwood ‘Flaviramea’ and dwarf Kelsey’s Gold
- Cornus sanguinea varieties – such as ‘Midwinter Fire’ and ‘Winter Beauty’
Small trees with attractive flowers and foliage:
- Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ (AGM)
- Cornus kousa varieties like ‘Miss Satomi’ (AGM)
- Cornus ‘Venus’
For winter flowers:
- Cornus mas – dainty yellow flowers in winter, red fruits in late summer
Planting Partners for Winter Displays
• Ajuga varieties
• Bergenia varieties
• Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’
• Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius)
• Daphne mezereum
• Daphne odora
• Euphorbia varieties
• Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’
• Heuchera varieties
• Mahonia varieties (eg M. aquifolium, ‘Charity’, and more
• Ophiopogon ‘Nigresens’
• Phormium varieties eg ‘Sundowner’
• Rubus cockburnianus
• Skimmia varieties
• Snowdrops (Galanthus varieties)
• Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’
• Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’
• Winter Flowering Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)
Related Articles
Share your story… →
One Response to A celebration of colourful Cornus