Cornus alba Ivory Halo® ‘Bailhalo’
Overview
Uses: Hedges, mass plantings, mixed borders, and winter-interest plantings.
Benefits: Green leaves edged in creamy white brighten shady corners all season, and bare red stems carry color through winter. Compact for a shrub dogwood.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–7
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Upright — dense, full form.
Foliage Color: Variegated green and cream
Mature Height: 5–6 feet
Mature Width: 5–6 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Summary
Bright leaves all summer, red stems all winter.
Ivory Halo® is a shrub dogwood grown for its foliage. Each green leaf carries a wide, creamy white margin, and from a distance the whole plant reads as pale and luminous. That makes it one of the better shrubs for lifting a part-shade corner, the north side of a house, or a border backed by dark evergreens.
When the leaves drop in fall, the second show begins. The bare stems are a clear red through winter, and they stand out sharply against snow, mulch, or a green hedge until new leaves return in spring.
It is compact for a variegated dogwood, forming a dense, rounded shrub about 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, where older variegated selections often reach 8 to 10 feet. It fills in quickly, works well as an informal hedge or in groups, and tolerates moist soils that many shrubs dislike.
Care
Ivory Halo® Variegated Dogwood Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. In full sun the variegation is crisp and the winter stems color most strongly; in partial shade the leaves stay bright, and a little afternoon shade helps prevent leaf scorch in hot summers.
Shrub dogwoods like moist soil and handle clay and ground that stays damp after rain. They also grow well in ordinary garden beds, as long as they do not dry out for long stretches.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season while roots establish, and during extended dry weather after that. A layer of mulch keeps the root zone cool and moist.
Feeding needs are light. One application of a slow release fertilizer in early spring is plenty, and plants in reasonable soil often need none.
The brightest red color is on young stems. Each year in late winter, cut about a third of the oldest, thickest stems back to the ground; new shoots will replace them with fresh color. Plants that have grown too large can be cut back hard in late winter and will regrow quickly.
Size
What Size is the Ivory Halo® Variegated Dogwood for Sale Online?
Our Ivory Halo® Variegated Dogwood ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive as bare red stems with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Ivory Halo® Variegated Dogwood Grow?
Expect about 5 to 6 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide at maturity, in a dense, rounded shape. Space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart for an informal hedge.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
- Variegated dogwood
- Tatarian dogwood
- Red-twig dogwood
How do I keep the winter stems bright red?
Prune for young wood. Stem color is strongest on shoots one to three years old and fades as stems thicken and age. Removing about a third of the oldest stems at ground level each late winter keeps a steady supply of new red growth and keeps the shrub dense. The stems you cut make good material for winter containers and arrangements.
Will it grow in partial shade or wet soil?
Yes to both. The cream-edged leaves are especially useful in partial shade, where they brighten the planting more than a solid green shrub would. Shrub dogwoods also handle moist and periodically wet soil well, so it is a good fit for low spots and the damp edges of a yard. For more options, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
How is it different from other variegated dogwoods?
Older variegated shrub dogwoods often grow 8 to 10 feet tall and wide and can get rangy. Ivory Halo® stays more compact at around 5 to 6 feet, with a denser, rounded habit, so it fits foundation beds and smaller yards. Where you need taller screening, browse our Privacy Trees & Shrubs.
