Cornus alba 'Siberian Pearls'
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Common Name: tatarian dogwood
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Cornaceae
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 3 to 6 feet
Spread: 3 to 6 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Color: White
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Leaves: Good Fall Color
Fruit: Showy Fruit
Wildlife: Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies
Tolerates: Deer, Rabbits
Uses: Erosion Control, Hedge, Rain Garden

Culture

Best grown in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soils. Prefers consistently moist, well-drained soils. Trim roots with a spade and promptly remove root suckers if colonial spread is undesired. Best red stem color occurs on young stems. Although pruning is not required, many gardeners choose to remove 20-25% of the oldest stems in early spring of each year to stimulate growth of new stems which will display the best red color. As an alternative to annual pruning, some gardeners prune all stems close to the ground in early spring every 2-3 years to renew. Any loss of flowers through spring pruning is not terribly significant since the small flowers of this dogwood are rather ordinary. Plants become stressed and more vulnerable to diseases such as canker in hot summer climates south of USDA Zone 7.

Noteworthy Characteristics

‘Siberian Pearls’ is a tatarian dogwood cultivar that is noted for its compact size, profuse flowering/fruiting and bright red twigs in winter. It is a multi-stemmed, suckering, deciduous shrub that typically grows 3-4’ tall on erect, usually unbranched stems. Tiny, yellowish-white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters (to 2.5” diameter) in late spring, with sparse, intermittent, additional flowering sometimes continuing into summer. Flowers give way to clusters of white, pearl-like drupes in summer. Fruit of this cultivar is abundant and is generally considered to have more ornamental interest than the flowers. Fruiting stems are attractive in floral arrangements. Fruit is also attractive to birds. Fall color is variable, but foliage may turn attractive shades of purple-red. Twigs turn bright red in winter. Tatarian dogwood is very similar to redtwig dogwood (C. sericea/stolonifera), but generally does not spread as aggressively.

Problems

Susceptible to leaf spot, twig and leaf blights and canker. Scale, leaf miner and borers are occasional insect pests.

Garden Uses

Naturalistic plantings in moist soils where plants are allowed to spread and form thickets. Property line screens. Hedges. Shrub borders. For an interesting bicolor winter stem display, combine with yellowtwig dogwoods (e.g., Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’).

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