Cornus

Extraordinary botanical and ornamental introduction of this evergreen stoloniferous Dogwood.  Allied to the northern deciduous Cornus canandensis, C. unalaschkensis and C. suecica, this was discovered in the 1930's by Frank Kingdon Ward on high ridges in northern Burma, now Myanmar.  This was never introduced to cultivation and it remained the mythical lost Cornus of Kingdon Ward for 80 years until English botanist Keith Rushforth rediscovered it in Myanmar growing in moss under Rhododendrons and Acer wardii and managed to introduce a handful of clones.  We are fortunate to have four clones and we much admire the glossy evergreen leaves and white-bracted flowers with their dark chocolate stamens.  This has proved hardy for us in our Zone 8a garden and we have hope that given its crazy disjunct location not far from the Tropic of Cancer, that this might be adaptable to the warmer evenings and humidity of the Southeast and East Coast but this remains to be seen.  Extremely rare. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering. Proceeds from this offering go to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

Cutting-grown plants of this evergreen Dogwood from our collection in Asia. Quite a handsome plant in both the wild and our garden which sports soft yellow flowers in June and July. Later, the round red fruit go from being attractive ornament on the tree to tasty snacks on the trail. Which is how we got ours. Our tree in the garden has handled low teens in the winter surprisingly well.

Our native creeping dogwood from seed collected during one of our many hikes in the Olympic Mountains. This deciduous groundcover is such a good plant with obvious white dogwood flowers on 4"-6" stems followed by clusters of red fruit. We like it when it climbs a bit up mossy trunks and logs. Loose soil with a good organic content.

One of the most sophisticated ornamental small trees and a well-grown mature plant is without rival. Broad spreading branches in well-spaced layers superbly display the foliage and lacy white flowers in May which are followed by bird-yummy black fruit. No anthracnose issues which so afflicts our native Cornus nuttallii. These are young plants on their own roots and not grafted. When we think of this tree, we cannot help but think of John Massey's private garden at Ashwood Nursery in England where this perfectly sited and impeccably grown tree stands at the focal nexus of garden magic.

This is maybe the best variegated Red-Twig Dogwood selection with green leaves boldly margined in golden yellow and the contrast with the red twigs is pretty darn good. The red twigginess is showy in the winter and great foliage spring and summer - what more do you need?

From the Yunnan-Vietnam borderlands, this small-leafed evergreen dogwood makes an attractive tree. Flowers not seen but if anything like the red fruit when ripe, then boom-shaka-laka! Even if the flowers are not as hoped, what a gift to focus on its many attributes and the modern plague of unrealistic expectation. Gallon pots. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Plant