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The best flowering dogwoods<\/a><\/li>
Trees for small gardens<\/a><\/li>
The best yellow magnolias for gardens of all sizes<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <\/div>
Many dogwoods grown for their foliage or stems have the added bonus of summer flowers. The variegated Cornus controversa<\/em> \u2018Variegata\u2019 is a lighter and more graceful form of Cornus controversa<\/em> and, with a similar wedding-cake silhouette, is one of the most beautiful variegated plants. The leaves are delicate, hanging along the elegantly poised branches. The creamy, early summer flowers add to the frothy, lightness of the plant.<\/p>
Of smaller stature, but with similar habit, is Cornus alternifolia<\/em> \u2018Argentea\u2019. Its dark stems and sage and white leaves make it easier to accommodate in the average garden. It is lighter, frothier and perhaps prettier than its larger cousin.<\/p>
Less frequently seen, Cornus mas<\/em> \u2018Variegata\u2019 is a particularly fine foliage shrub, with the benefit of yellow, fluffy flowers on bare branches in late winter. The defined green and white leaves provide the perfect setting for cherry- like fruits that develop in autumn.<\/p>
When to prune cornus<\/h2>
If you’re growing cornus for colourful winter stems, prune in late winter or early spring \u2013 February or March \u2013 before the plants have started into leaf. Pruning at this time will keep the stems compact and colourful the following winter.<\/p>
How to prune cornus<\/h2>
Let your cornus establish for three to four years before you prune for the first time. Cut back to between 7cm and 10cm from the ground.<\/p>
Read our detailed guide to pruning dogwoods<\/a>.<\/p>
The best cornus to grow for foliage and stems<\/h2>
Cornus alternifolia <\/em>‘Argentea’<\/h3>

\u00a9 Dianna Jazwinski <\/figcaption> <\/figure>
The variegated dogwood is one of the finest foliage shrubs with floating horizontal branches and delicate green and white leaves. Lacy, white flowers in early summer.Height<\/strong> 3m. Hardiness<\/strong> RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.<\/p>
Cornus alba <\/em>‘Gouchaltii’<\/h3>
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\u00a9 Dianna Jazwinski <\/figcaption> <\/figure>
Dark-red stems in winter remain decorative after the ochre and green leaves have fallen. This dogwood thrives on any soil; excellent in wet conditions. Cut back hard to 20cm every two years.Height<\/strong> 1.8m. Hardiness<\/strong> RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.<\/p>
Cornus alba <\/em>‘Siberica Variegata’<\/h3>
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\u00a9 Dianna Jazwinski <\/figcaption> <\/figure>
Much less vigorous than other red-barked dogwoods; ideal for smaller gardens. Attractive foliage with the bonus of dark red winter stems. Grows on any soil in sun or shade. Height 2m. Hardiness rating RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.<\/p>
Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ <\/em>Franz type<\/h3>
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\u00a9 Dianna Jazwinski <\/figcaption> <\/figure>
An excellent form of the variegated wedding cake dogwood tree with grey-green leaves with narrow white margins. More vigorous than Cornus controversa <\/em>\u2018Variegata\u2019 and better in more challenging growing conditions.Height<\/strong> 5m. Hardiness rating<\/strong> RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.<\/p>
Cornus mas<\/em> ‘Variegata’<\/h3>
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\u00a9 Dianna Jazwinski <\/figcaption> <\/figure>
Tiny, golden flowers on bare stems in late winter before the white and green leaves unfurl. Scarlet fruits in autumn. This dogwood is growing and upright in habit when young.Height<\/strong> 3m. Hardiness rating<\/strong> RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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Cultivars of Cornus sanguinea, Cornus alba and Cornus sericea are grown for their colourful winter stems, but some have the benefit of attractive foliage too, giving them year-round appeal. Plant expert Andy McIndoe recommends some of the best. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":41898,"template":"","categories":[1,51],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2024\/11\/these-colourful-stems-will-be-a-great-addition-to-your-winter-garden-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Cultivars of Cornus sanguinea, Cornus alba and Cornus sericea are grown for their colourful winter stems, but some have the benefit of attractive foliage too, giving them year-round appeal. Plant expert Andy McIndoe recommends some of the best.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/41897"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

How to prune cornus<\/h2> Let your cornus establish for three to four years before you prune for the first time. Cut back to between 7cm and 10cm from the ground.<\/p> Read our detailed guide to pruning dogwoods<\/a>.<\/p>

How to prune cornus<\/h2>
Let your cornus establish for three to four years before you prune for the first time. Cut back to between 7cm and 10cm from the ground.<\/p>
Read our detailed guide to pruning dogwoods<\/a>.<\/p>