I’ve been growing this dogwood in dense shade for about 8 years. It’s been incredibly durable for me. I accidentally pruned it to the ground early on and it rebounded in no time. It’s very sculptural and the leaf color lights up a shaded area. These trees take a few years to get going and then they grow robustly.
Golden Shadows® Pagoda Dogwood Cornus alternifolia
Exposure
- Part Shade to Shade
Flower Season
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Mature Size
Height: 10' - 12'
Spread: 10' - 12'
Height: 3.0m - 3.7m
Spread: 3.0m - 3.7m
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120 - 144 Inches120 - 144 Inches120 - 144 Inches3.0m - 3.7m3.0m - 3.7m3.0m - 3.7m
Features
Elegant structure + unbelievable color = one perfect little pagoda dogwood tree! Golden Shadows dogwood, a beautiful cornus alternifolia tree, is the ideal candidate to grace a spot of honor in your landscape. This pagoda dogwood tree naturally grows with a distinctive horizontal branching habit, which gives it a strong but not overwhelming presence. Its elegant structure is complemented by a cloak of gloriously variegated leaves - bright yellow with a splotch of emerald green in the center, making it a striking variegated dogwood tree, taking on pink tones on the new growth in cool weather. Spring sees the plant graced with lacy white blooms. Beneath all this beauty lies a tough North American native that can grow in many difficult conditions; Golden Shadows dogwood is especially noteworthy for its ability to thrive in light shade, its bright foliage bringing color and beauty to otherwise dim sites.
Top reasons to grow Golden Shadows pagoda dogwood:
- Strongly horizontal branching gives this pagoda dogwood tree year-round presence and beauty.
- Variegated foliage makes it a standout variegated dogwood tree that is colorful and and bright in the landscape.
- Thrives in light shade.
Foliage InterestResists:DeerNative to North AmericaCharacteristics
Plant Type:TreeShrub Type:DeciduousHeight Category:TallGarden Height:120 - 144 Inches 3.0m - 3.7mSpacing:120 - 144 Inches 3.0m - 3.7mSpread:120 - 144 Inches 3.0m - 3.7mFlower Colors:GreenFlower Colors:WhiteFlower Colors:YellowFoliage Colors:GreenFoliage Colors:YellowFoliage Shade:Variegated yellow and greenHabit:UprightContainer Role:ThrillerPlant Needs
Light Requirement:Part Shade to ShadeThe optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).
Maintenance Category:EasyBlooms On:Old WoodBloom Time:SpringHardiness Zones:3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8bWater Category:AverageUses:LandscapeUses:Specimen or Focal PointUses Notes:Thanks to its dramatic structure and color, Golden Shadows dogwood makes a peerless specimen planting. The pagoda dogwood tree is ideal for adding layered structure and color in partially shaped landscapes. As a variegated dogwood tree, it works beautifully as a focal point in woodland gardens or naturalistic plantings.
Maintenance Notes:No pruning is necessary. This durable cornus alternifolia tree performs its best in well-drained soil with consistent moisture when planted in lightly shaded sites. The hotter the climate, the more shade the cornus alternifolia tree will require. Like most variegated plants, occasional reversions to the original green form may occur. These should be pruned out as needed. Once established, the pagoda dogwood tree requires very little maintenance and will continue to provide structure and seasonal color in the landscape.
Golden Shadows® Cornus alternifolia 'Wstackman' -
53432313Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
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Robert, New York, United States, 45 weeks ago
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Update from a year ago. New location, no joy. No signs of new growth and varigation faded as summer progressed. My friends is a year younger, large and fabulous. Can't seem to locate a replacement, going to prune an inch from the ground. So disappointed.
Cindy Vogel, Indiana, United States, 1 year ago -
This is the only thing I’ve ever gotten from proven winners that was a total fail. I ordered two. One was planted in a shady location, the other was in part shade, both died quickly. We did get hit with unexpected heat a couple of days later, so maybe that was it, (they were watered, so I’m not sure). I will try them again at some point…I want them to work out, they’re beautiful!!
Jessann, Virginia, United States, 2 years ago -
5 years in dappled woodland. 3 gallon plant. Beautiful but zero additional growth. Stagnant. Too pretty to give up, planting in a new woodland spot that will get a hit of direct sun, hoping for happiness.
Cindy Vogel, Indiana, United States, 3 years ago -
When I received the trees late last Summer and saw how tiny they were (8 inches tall), I had little hope they would survive our Minnesota winters. As expected, we had some -30 degree low temperatures, but despite the harsh conditions, they have tripled in size and are thriving! We have heavy clay soil that's been amended over the years with compost, and the trees were planted in 3 locations: one in dappled shade all day, one in morning sun only and one that gets off and on sun from about 1pm until sunset. All have experienced similar growth and are branching nicely. I couldn't be more pleased! Take a chance on these little guys. They are a gorgeous accent that'll brighten your shady garden.
Mary Ruud, Minnesota, United States, 4 years ago -
I bought 3 of these when they came out in quarts at a PW distributor 5yrs ago. They were each planted in a different spot- full sun, part sun and morning sun and have all taken a couple years to take off- the one in full sun is now over 6' x 7' and an avid grower that puts out over 1' of growth every time we have a rainy week. The part-sun one took years to take off, but has grown 4' this year alone because of the non-stop rains, it is 4' x 6'. The one in morning sun grew well and fast to 5' x 4' but it wasn't full and didn't have the symmetric branching you expect from this tree, so it was moved to another spot with the same amount of light but better drainage and it has grown a lot since we moved it, shooting buds on the sides as the others do. Beautiful specimens, a bit fussy about their spot (I have wet and heavy clay, mountain, windy, zone 6a) but if they're left alone to adapt to their spot they will grow from year 3-5 and will not stop. If I had the room, I'd buy a few more.
deca, Virginia, United States, 6 years ago
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