Before last week's visit to Dawe's, I really had never seen a non-variegated, decent-sized Cornus controversa. Man, was I blown away! What a gorgeous, healthy, vigorous, large-growing (relatively) tree this is. It should be more often considered as a landscape tree.
Scott
The branching is just like that of the wedding cake tree (the more common, white variegated form of Cornus controversa), very lateral and wide spreading. The effect is these very showy horizontal layers of beautiful foliage.
Scott
I bet that looks breath-taking with snow held on the branches too. Great photos.
Scott--I have a cultivar called 'June Snow'--great flowers, fruit, and red fall color.
On a related note, the C. alternifolia 'Golden Shadows' has excellent reddish purple fall color, and C. controversa 'Janine' also had a good red fall color.
Kevin,
Has your C. alt. 'Golden Shadows' been a vigorous grower? I planted one a couple of years ago that never seemed to thrive and it died this summer during the furnace-like conditions of July. Even though it was in partial shade and in a reasonably protected site, it may have had too much sun/wind for for such a small plant. I went the extra mile on this one, even building a shade structure for it, but to no avail. I'll probably try it again...only this time with more shade/protection.
Bob
Bob--new for me this year, so I will hold comments till it has a year to settle in.
