I am mostly a Japanese Maple and Hosta lover, especially variegated ones. While surfing the web I found a picture of this cultivars and now I want one. While I found a couple of pictures I did not find much about what zones it is good for, how much sun it likes, does it need wind protection, etc... Any help would be greatly appreciated.
AHS A-Z Encyclopedia Of Plants (Brickell, Zuk) states zones 6-9 for species, but 'Variegata' may be less cold and sun tolerant as is typical vor variegated forms. Height is also less - 25' or so at maturity vs. twice that for species. These tend to be slow growing and somewhat difficult plants to grow in many areas, though not as difficult as C. alternifolia 'Argentea'. Given the fairly high cost of these trees, its worth investigating whether they will grow well in your area - inquire at a local nursery.
Stated growth rates are usually generalized and relative. Most I have read indicate slow to average for this, although at least one source claims 18" per year. As always individual growing conditions will play a bit part. Also may be influenced by rootstock, if grafted, as most are. There is at least one other variegated form of C. controversa said to be more vigorous than 'Variegata'.
Mine has made very little progress for years, some others I have seen I think are quite likely to be growing more than 18 inches per year. Mine gets dry each summer, flags. We do not have an irrigation system, recently, despite hand watering I had many plants in the garden droop.
My cornus variegata has been in place for about a year and a half and is now probably 1.8m high. It is wet and shady at the root with lots of sun over. I have not pruned it for stem colour because I wanted to have it there as a small tree to provide some privacy from the house behind me. I think it is the elegantissima that I have (it is raining too heavily at the moment for me to pop outside and check the label) and the leaf colour and variegation is beautiful.
No, you would definitely NOT hard prune C. controversa 'Variegata' for stem color. That is done with shrubby, sprouting dogwoods such as the C. alba cultivar mentioned above (Cappiello & Shadow, DOGWOODS (Timber Press) say C. alba 'Argenteovariegata' is preferred name over C. alba 'Elegantissima').
I think I got the discussion on the wrong track. I just looked up cornus controversa and realised it is the wedding cake tree and not the shrubby variety. I'm glad Ron picked the inconsistency up. Sorry for the confusion. Mine is a variegated cornus alba but not the Elegantissima. I also have a variegated cornus mas which is a very slow grower but looks pretty in leaf and in flower. Its leaves don't look their best now at the end of the summer and have brown patches at the tips. Some have pink tints.
