Wedding cake tree

Description

Cornus controversa (wedding cake tree), syn. Swida controversa, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cornus of the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to China, Korea, the Himalayas and Japan. It is a deciduous tree growing to 50 ft (15 m), with multiple tiered branches. Flat panicles of white flowers (cymes to 3–7 in (8–18 cm) wide) appear in summer, followed by globose black fruit (drupes to 1⁄2 in (13 mm)). Ovate dark green leaves (3–6 in (8–15 cm) long) are glaucous underneath and turn red-purple in autumn. It is cultivated in gardens and parks in temperate regions. It is also sometimes referred to as Bothrocaryum controversum (Hemsl.) Pojark when seeds are offered for online sale. The variety C. controversa 'Variegata' has leaves with cream margins, which turn yellow in autumn, and grows to a lesser size than its parent – typically 25 ft (8 m). It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.