Cornus alba ‘Ivory Halo’

Description

Cornus alba Bailhalo, sold as Ivory Halo Tatarian dogwood, is a compact, slow-growing, finely branched deciduous shrub with a full rounded outline. Mature plants commonly reach about 1.5 to 2 metres high and can spread as wide or wider. Green to grey-green leaves carry irregular cream-white margins through spring and summer, then may develop pink and red autumn tones. Fine red-brown to muted purple twigs provide winter structure. Small cream-white flowers form flat-topped clusters in May and June; the cultivar is sterile and is not grown for fruit.

Grow Ivory Halo in full sun or partial shade in ordinary garden soil. It tolerates clay, loam, sand, and a range of moisture conditions. Regular establishment water supports dense growth, while partial shade can emphasize the pale foliage. The compact habit suits informal hedges, mixed borders, mass planting, and smaller gardens.

Pruning is normally minimal. Remove selected old branches in late winter every two to three years when renewal or stronger young-stem color is wanted. Rodney P. Bailey, also recorded as Rob Bailey, selected the original whole-plant mutation among Cornus alba Argenteo-Marginata at Bailey Nurseries near St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1983. Softwood cuttings were propagated that summer, and Bailey Nurseries marketed the cultivar Bailhalo under the Ivory Halo trademark.