New plants: Cornus alba 'Miracle'

Three plants jostled for position as ‘top newcomer’ in the latest RHS Plant Finder – an accolade given to the new introduction that is offered by the most Plant Finder nurseries. I’ve already brought you news of Salvia Pink Amistad and Buddleja Little Ruby; now it’s time to present Cornus alba Miracle.

What’s so special about Cornus alba Miracle?

We’ve seen many dogwoods with red stems before. We’ve also seen dogwoods with variegated

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

summer foliage, and some of our most attractive dogwoods have good autumn leaf colour too. Bring these three fine features together, add new spring foliage brightly tinted in pink, and recall that this newcomer is just as easy to grow as other dogwoods – and perhaps calling it Miracle is not quite the exaggeration we may have suspected.

From late spring through summer and into autumn, the leaves are essentially green with a cream edge – but as the first pairs of leaves open in spring, the whole of each leaf comes brightly suffused in pink. This creates an irregular, almost bronzed central zone to each leaf, with a striking network of red veins. At the same time, the creamy margins are vividly tinted in pink.

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In high summer, the pink colouring tends to fade, revealing the creamy margins to the green leaves. Then in autumn it returns in the form of increasingly reddish tones taking over before the foliage falls, revealing the deep red stems that bring new colour to the winter garden.

Where did Cornus alba Miracle come from?

We owe the discovery of the Miracle dogwood to the eagle eye of Dutch grower Henricus Verpaalen, from Zundert, just north of the border with Belgium. Back in October 2015, he noticed that one branch on one plant in a field full of an old favourite, the variegated Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’, was different – it had a pink edge to its leaves.

Henricus propagated this one branch to produce several young plants. He assessed the young plants as they developed until he was sure that his new selection was stable and proved consistently different from ‘Elegantissima’ and ‘Ivory Halo’ in its red or pink leaf colouring, thus fulfilling the criteria for a new cultivar

Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.

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Growing Cornus alba Miracle

Miracle dogwood is just as easy to grow as other, older varieties. Plant it in full sun, in fertile soil that is neither parched nor waterlogged

Describes soil or potting compost that is saturated with water. The water displaces air from the spaces between soil particles and plant roots can literally drown, unless they are adapted to growing in waterlogged conditions. Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted.

. Prune the stems down to about 5-8cm above ground in late winter or early spring. Feed the plant with a general fertiliser in spring, and mulch

Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

with weed-free organic matter.

• How to grow Cornus for winter stem colour
• How to grow flowering Cornus

Miracle dogwood also does well in patio containers, a soil-based compost

Soil-based compost is a potting compost that includes sterilised soil/loam in the mix. As loam contains sand, silt and clay, it does not rot down like organic materials, so adding soil/loam to compost ensures it is longer lasting – it is often used for shrubs in pots and will last 3–4 years without the need to be replaced.

such as a peat-free John Innes No.3 is ideal, but be sure to never allow the compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

to dry out.

• Growing plants in containers

Where can I buy Cornus alba Miracle?

Cornus Miracle is available from RHS Plants or, for more options, click the suppliers link on this page in the RHS Find A Plant for a list of other nurseries offering the Miracle dogwood.

More inspiration

• All about Cornus
• How to fit trees and shrubs into a small garden
• More trees for containers

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