Cornus Alba Kesselringii White Dogwood

Cornus Alba Kesselringii is a red-stemmed deciduous dogwood with the RHS AGM. It has good autumn and winter colour, fresh green summer leaves and white berries. It suits woodland gardens, large informal borders and plant containers.

Cornus are better known as dogwood. It’s a large genus including creeping shrubs and small trees. Cornus Alba is the red-barked variety that’s native to Siberia, northern China and Korea.

Cornus Alba Kesselrinigii is known as White Dogwood Kesselringii because although it has red stems the berries are white. It’s a vigorous cultivar that was bred at the start of the 20^th century. It forms a mass of upright dark red stems that turn blackish-purple in winter. In spring, fresh new green leaves appear along the stems and small cream flowers on the branching tips. Its flowers mature to small white berries in late summer just before the leaves begin to turn red and purple for autumn.

This is an excellent choice for striking year-round colour in low-maintenance spaces.

Height And Spread of Cornus Alba Kesselringii
White Dogwood Kesselringii will reach 2.5 metres in height and spread over 5-10 years.

How Hardy Is Cornus Alba Kesselringii
Dogwoods are very hardy when their roots are well drained. Pests are rarely a problem and they are able to withstand drought and hard frosts.

How To Use Cornus Alba Kesselringii
White Dogwood Kesselringii is a great low-maintenance border filler and natural choice for woodland-style gardens and pollinator-friendly spaces. Its tough nature makes it a good coastal plant and it will cope with slopes and banks too.
Its striking upright dark stems suit modern urban spaces and the tiny white flowers and berries add to cottage-style planting. You can grow Cornus shrubs in large well-watered and fed containers to brighten up a deck or balcony garden too.
Overall, Cornus Alba Kesselringii is a versatile shrub that is happy in most aspects and requires little care.

How To Care For Cornus Alba Kesselringii
Plant it in full sun or partial shade in an exposed or sheltered spot. It’s not fussy about soil types as long as it’s well drained.
For the most colourful wintertime stems, cut old wood down to a few inches in early spring before the foliage begins to appear.
Water it well until you see new growth and apply a thick layer of well-rotted organic matter to the roots in spring.