Cornus controversa - Giant Dogwood

Cornus controversa, also known as the Pagoda dogwood, is one of the largest in its genus. Forming a true small tree, it captivates with its remarkable silhouette, with tiered branches, a true vegetal sculpture that determines the focal point of the garden. It is adorned with shiny foliage and in summer, it is covered with snowy, fragrant inflorescences, woven together, followed by blue-black and glossy fruits. Its foliage takes on beautiful colours in autumn, ranging from red to violet before falling. Winter reveals the perfect architecture of its branches. Over time, and with elegance, it imposes its presence and deserves to be reserved in the garden as a work of art, in fresh soil without too much limestone.

Cornus controversa is a small tree native, as if it were obvious considering its refined appearance, from China, Korea, and Japan. It simultaneously develops a vertical arrow and horizontal, tiered branches, slowly reaching an average height of 12m (39ft 5in) with a spread of 7-8m (23-26ft 2in). Its young reddish branches are covered with green, highly veined and shiny foliage, with the underside being lighter, greyish to bluish. It is the only dogwood, along with Cornus alternifolia, to have alternate leaves instead of opposite leaves. They are elliptical, ovate, with a pointed tip, traversed by about 8 parallel veins, and measure 10cm (3.9in) long. The foliage turns dark red in October and remains flamboyant on the tree before falling. While it is magnificent at the end of the season, its flowering from May to June in flat white cymes is very ornamental. The large fragrant clusters they form, measuring 10 to 15cm (3.9 to 5.9in) in diameter, illuminate the tree while highlighting its unique habit. The flowering is followed by the formation of blue-black berries, 1cm (0.4in) in diameter.

This Pagoda dogwood deserves to be planted as a solitary tree on a short grass meadow, and its moderate growth is well suited for medium-sized spaces. It can obviously be used in Japanese-inspired scenes where it will blend perfectly with the small Acer palmatum 'Dissectum', Rhododendron yakushimanum, or Pieris japonica 'Forest Flame'. The perennials that accompany it will, like it, prefer fresh and slightly acidic soils. In full sun, its base can be covered with Lithodora diffusa, which offers intense blue flowering, and in partial shade, Heucheras and Astilbes will perfectly fulfill this function. In a more minimalist style, it can be used for its graphical aspect, in association with very simple materials such as concrete or metal, as well as with grasses like Calamagrostis x acutiflora, Helictotrichon sempervirens, Carex comans 'Bronze'. By its side, a fern with an upright habit like Matteucia struthiopteris will create a beautiful contrast with the horizontality of our small tree.