Have you ever seen such a glorious combination of color, texture, and form? This Chinese Dogwood is just magnificent, from its variegated, ribbon-edged leaves to its symmetrical white blooms to its pink-tinged fall color! For the shrub border, perimeter planting, or simply as a breathtaking specimen, 'Wolf Eyes' deserves a home in your garden!
First, let's look at those leaves. Long, slender, and pointed, they're a deep green edged in white and then crimped so that they look like they're rippling even when there's not a breeze in the garden! In the spring they may have some pink highlights, and in the fall this pink returns as the weather cools down. But the variegation and striking shape hold up right through the summer, even in the intense heat and humidity of the south!
Now the flowers. The classic four-petaled bloom is set a bit above the leaves, as if it were a parasol offering them a bit of shade. The center of each flower is a prominent light green cone — the "wolf eye"! In the twilight, these white flowers stand out as if they'd been lighted from below! They arise most heavily in early summer (a bit sooner if you live far south) and last a good while.
The blooms are followed by small red fruit that birds find irresistible, and that's good, because the shrubby, spreading habit of 'Wolf Eyes' makes it ideal as a home and shelter for backyard birds. When the leaves drop in late fall and the closely branched silhouette is revealed, you'll see why 'Wolf Eyes' offers such great protection for the feathered residents of your garden!
Resistant to many pests and diseases plaguing our native Dogwoods — particularly the notorious Anthracnose — this Asiatic Dogwood is a must-have for all-season landscape interest. It will reach its mature size of about 10 feet tall and up to 30 feet wide within just 5 to 7 years. Plant in sun or partial shade (especially in the south) in rich soil. Zones 5-9.
