| Cornus alba 'Argenteo-marginata' | |
| White-margined Tatarian dogwood |
Size: 5-8 ft. high x 5 ft. wide Flowering time: May-Jun Hardiness: zone 3a Native range: Siberia . Manchuria . North Korea pH: 5.0 - 7.0
Category: Woody plants   |  Gary J. Kling |
Sometimes the old-fashioned varieties are still the best, as proven by a five-year study of shrub dogwoods at Longwood Gardens published in 2005. Consistently scoring in the top 10% for winter, spring, summer, and fall appeal, 'Argenteo-marginata' came out as the highest-scoring cultivar overall against 32 other selections. What makes this dogwood so great? The most obvious characteristic is the variegated leaves 
dusky gray-green in the center, they're surrounded by a thick creamy-white margin that makes this plant glow in the landscape. The winter interest is spectacular as well. No longer hidden by the foliage, vibrant carmine-red stems form vertical stripes in the landscape, intensifying in color as the season progresses . New growth tends to have the best coloration, so prune 1/3 of the old wood out every year or cut to within 6-12" of the ground in late winter just before the plant breaks bud.
dusky gray-green in the center, they're surrounded by a thick creamy-white margin that makes this plant glow in the landscape. The winter interest is spectacular as well. No longer hidden by the foliage, vibrant carmine-red stems form vertical stripes in the landscape, intensifying in color as the season progresses . New growth tends to have the best coloration, so prune 1/3 of the old wood out every year or cut to within 6-12" of the ground in late winter just before the plant breaks bud. I love this dogwood planted in front of large, red-foliaged plants like Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' or against evergreen backdrops. It in turn works quite well as a backdrop for dark-foliaged plants like Sedum 'Purple Emperor'.Pot size: 4.5"sq x 5.0" (1004 ml, or ~one quart).