Cornus Norman Hadden Dogwood

Cornus Norman Hadden is a beautiful deciduous tree with peeling bark and creamy white to pink flower bracts. Edible fruits appear in autumn. This tree holds the RHS AGM. It’s a graceful and productive small tree for mixed borders, courtyards and kitchen gardens.

Cornus is better known as Dogwood. There are many different varieties in the UK but Dogwood Norman Hadden was a spontaneous cross between the Japanese Cornus Kousa and Cornus Capitata, the evergreen Himalayan dogwood in around 1958. It was named after the horticulturist Norman Hadden in whose Somerset garden it appeared.

Despite one of its parent plants being evergreen Cornus Norman Hadden is deciduous. One of its main attributes is its stunning autumn colour. Its foliage emerges green in spring and summer but matures to vivid orange and red for autumn.

Creamy white flower bracts appear in the summertime which are very attractive to pollinators. The flowers mature to pink by July and in autumn they ripen into large crops of strawberry-like edible fruits. When its foliage and fruits have fallen, attractive peeling bark is displayed during the winter months.

This is a compact, graceful tree that suits all types of gardens and brings a big hit of colour with its stunning foliage and useful, tasty fruits.

Height And Spread of Cornus Norman Hadden
Cornus Norman Hadden is a graceful tree that reaches a maximum of eight metres by eight metres over 10-20 years.

How Hardy is Cornus Norman Hadden
This is a hardy tree in the UK given its Himalayan origins. It can cope with freezing temperatures and some drought once established and as long as its roots are well drained.

How To Use Cornus Norman Hadden
Low maintenance informal cottage garden borders and beds suit this delicately arching tree. It’s also an unusual fruit for kitchen gardeners and a magnet for bees and butterflies.
Its easy-care aspects are suited to inexperienced or busy gardeners, and its compact size fits urban courtyards.
In short, this tree is versatile and suited to most spaces.

How To Care For Cornus Norman Hadden
Pick a position in full sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained soil of any type. Dogwood Norman Hadden can tolerate exposed sites.
This dogwood doesn’t need pruning, but you can manage its size, or remove wayward branches, after it’s finished fruiting.
Water it well until it’s established and apply a thick layer of organic mulch to the planting hole and around the roots in spring for the best crop of edible fruits.