Variegated red twig dogwood
Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' · Cornaceae
Grey-green leaves edged in white through the summer, and bright red stems all winter. Two seasons of interest from one shrub.
- Size
- 6½ ft tall, 6½ ft wide
- Zones
- 3 to 7
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late May to mid June
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around variegated red twig dogwood
The planner designed this bed around variegated red twig dogwood 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 variegated red twig dogwood stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Variegated red twig dogwood × 1, variegated leaves
- 2 Bloody cranesbill × 3, pink
- 3 Winter heath × 11, purple
- 4 Sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' × 4, yellow
- 5 Wild quinine × 3, white
- 6 Caucasian scabious 'Fama' × 3, blue
- 7 Goldenrod 'Golden Fleece' × 8, yellow
- 8 Tulip 'Ballerina' × 12, orange
- 9 Grape hyacinth × 12, blue
- 10 Tulip 'Apeldoorn' × 8, red
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does winter heath.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 6½ 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 sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' (4½ 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 8 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 9 of the 9 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Cool colours (pink, purple and blue) set against hot ones (yellow, orange and red), with white to calm things between them. Winter heath repeats along the bed to tie it together.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 4 Good, 3 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where variegated red twig dogwood goes in a border
At 6½ 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.
The youngest stems are the reddest, so cut out a third of the oldest stems at the base every spring. The white-edged leaves brighten dark evergreens behind.
- Red stems for winter
- Variegated foliage to lighten a border
- Moist soil
What to plant with variegated red twig dogwood
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- 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.
- Lady's mantle: adds the flowers, late May to early July; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Japanese anemone: adds the flowers, mid August to early October; low enough (3 ft) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about variegated red twig dogwood
Does variegated red twig dogwood need sun or shade?
Variegated red twig dogwood 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 variegated red twig dogwood 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 variegated red twig dogwood 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 6½ ft (200 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 6½ ft (200 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many variegated red twig dogwood 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 variegated red twig dogwood 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.
Is there a native plant like variegated red twig dogwood?
Variegated red twig dogwood comes from Central and Eastern Asia. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo': the same job in a bed and the same size.
- Inkberry: the same job in a bed and the same size; fine leaves, not medium, keeps its leaves in winter.
- Highbush blueberry: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early May to late May.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat variegated red twig dogwood?
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.
Will variegated red twig dogwood spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by suckers into a wider clump. Remove the outer shoots to contain it.
What does variegated red twig dogwood look like in winter?
Variegated red twig dogwood drops its leaves and stands as bare branches: it is grown for red stems for winter. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is variegated red twig dogwood good for bees and butterflies?
Variegated red twig dogwood is visited by pollinators, specialist bees, butterflies and songbirds.
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'
- Tatarian dogwood 'Ivory Halo' Cornus alba 'Bailhalo' (Ivory Halo)
- Yellow twig dogwood Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 6½ ft (200 cm) tall, 6½ ft (200 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 mid June; dense clusters; white
- Leaves
- Medium texture, deciduous; variegated
- Shape
- Rounded, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 7
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- 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.