Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo'
Cornus alba 'Bailhalo' (Ivory Halo) · Cornaceae
Green leaves with a clean white edge all summer, then bright red stems in winter, on a compact, rounded shrub.
- Size
- 6 ft tall, 6 ft wide
- Zones
- 3 to 7
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late May to early June
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo'
The planner designed this bed around Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' × 1, variegated leaves
- 2 Mouse-ear coreopsis 'Nana' × 43, yellow
- 3 Creeping phlox 'Candy Stripe' × 8, pink
- 4 White mugwort × 3, cream
- 5 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 3, purple
- 6 Blue-eyed grass × 19, blue
- 7 Easter lily × 3, white
- 8 Camassia × 4, blue
- 9 Snowdrop × 7, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 6 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to Tatarian aster 'Jindai' (4 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 9 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 10 of the 10 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The most in flower at one time is 4 kinds, in mid May. In winter there is still creeping phlox 'Candy Stripe' to look at.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 5 Good, 2 Satisfactory.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' goes in a border
At 6 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is very tall (5 to 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
A smaller, tidier variegated dogwood that does not sucker. It gives light to a shrub border in summer and colour in winter. Cut out a third of the oldest stems each spring.
- Variegated foliage and red winter stems
- Brightening a shrub border
- Rain gardens
What to plant with Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Winterberry: happy in the same moist soil.
- Siberian iris: adds the flowers, late May to late June; low enough (2½ ft) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Tufted hair grass: adds the flowers, late June to late August; low enough (3 ft) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo'
Does Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' need sun or shade?
Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. It copes with soil that stays wet.
What zones does Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 7. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' be planted?
5 ft (150 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6 ft (180 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 6 ft (180 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' plants do I need?
Usually one. At 5 ft (150 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 5 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' look like in winter?
Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches: it is grown for variegated foliage and red winter stems. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' good for bees and butterflies?
Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' is visited by pollinators, specialist bees, butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Cornus
- Bloodtwig dogwood 'Midwinter Fire' Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
- Cornelian cherry Cornus mas
- Red osier dogwood Cornus sericea
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire' Cornus sericea 'Arctic Fire'
- Siberian dogwood Cornus alba 'Sibirica'
- Variegated red twig dogwood Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'
- Yellow twig dogwood Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 6 ft (180 cm) tall, 6 ft (180 cm) wide
- Plant
- 5 ft (150 cm) apart
- Height class
- Very tall (5 to 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Late May to early June; dense clusters; white, cream
- Leaves
- Medium texture, deciduous; variegated
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 7
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Cornaceae
- Comes from
- Central and Eastern Asia
- Attracts
- Pollinators, specialist bees, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, wet soil, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.