Ivory halo dogwood companion plants require similar growing conditions as ivory halos themselves. With several options of companions available, it’s understandable to need clarification about the best ones to select and propagate.
In this article, we’ll describe a few of them, with their winning features and specific growth requirements. Let’s get into it!
Contents
A List of Suitable Ivory Halo Dogwood Companion Plants
The dogwood is also known as the Cornus alba, is a popular shrub that adds attractive features to different landscapes. Their beautiful variegated leaves and stunning red stems contrast and pair well with several other plants; some belong to the same family, while others belong to different families, as the companion plants should be ones that would grow with similar properties.
1. Red Twig Dogwood
These plants are commonly called red osier dogwood is also known as the Cornus sericea or American dogwood, and they belong to the same family and genus as Cornus alba. At first glance, you might think this plant is dead because it’s practically all twigs and stems after the leaves fall. However, that’s not the case. The beautiful red twigs you see are part of the plants’ allure, and in fact, this is one primary reason for its popularity.
– Features
With the red-colored branches and twigs popular among most dogwood species, American dogwoods add a picturesque view to gardens with this feature.
These shrubs grow gray-green leaves with white edges, and some species produce beautiful white flowers, which later turn into greenish-blue fruits. They look even better paired with other plants during winter, when they start to establish themselves and grow.
Despite the fact that many dogwood species are slow-growing, American dogwoods grow faster than most. The mature plants grow about nine feet tall and 12 feet wide.
– Care and Maintenance Guide
American dogwood care and maintenance are straightforward. However, when you are growing it, remember that giving it adquate full sun would encourages the growth of the bright red stems of these plants, which means that they are best planted under proper exposure to the sun.
In addition to these requirements, you must remember that these trees will also tolerate some shade in instances when the light intensity is too much, but of course not for a long time. Red twig dogwoods prefer constantly wet and slightly acidic soils. They will grow ideally in moist soils as long as their nutrient requirements are met. Make sure that you do not over water the tree or else the roots may develop some fungi and it would be hard to over come this.
2. Japanese Boxwood
Japanese boxwood companion plants are quite popular in home gardens. Many gardeners love them for their versatility, as they can be planted in pots, beds, or directly into the soil. These evergreen shrubs are sometimes known as little leaf boxwood.
The majority of these plant species are resistant to many harsh conditions. Although Japanese boxwood shrubs have the potential to become enormous over many years, they are often cut and shaped into beautiful hedges, as a way to raise the aesthetic appeal of the place that it has been located.
– Features
These shrubs have small shiny green leaves that stay on even during winter. Some species’ leaves change color to a more yellow hue during winter. On the other hand, all foliage color returns to their characteristic green hues during spring when the blooming season it on the go.
Japanese boxwood shrubs are resistant to cold and many pests and diseases, and they are popular for this reason. Most species of these shrubs reach heights and widths of three feet.
Besides this remember that these shrubs produce fragrant flowers that beautify landscapes and are of particular interest to specific pollinators, and they would attract them in the beginning of their blossoming time.
– Care and Maintenance Guide
Japanese boxwood shrubs require very little care and maintenance as long as a few things are put in place. The most important factors are the soil, light, and water conditions, which means that when these are properly provided, they will thrive and develop to their ideal growth.
However, one thing that you should note is that even though these plants will perform excellently under total sun exposure, preferably morning sun, younger plants will benefit from a bit of shade. Also, these plants grow in quite a number of soil types but ultimately prefer moist loam soils with an acidic to neutral pH.
3. Dwarf Korean Lilac
Dwarf Korean lilac companion plants are flowering shrubs indigenous to several parts of Korea and China. These plants belong to the Oleaceae family, with several varieties to pick from. They are famous for their stunning blooms, which can be used as cut flowers which can show and add a great feature to your garden around your ivory tree. Also, these shrubs usually shed their leaves seasonally.
– Features
When the shrubs bloom, they produce tiny fragrant flowers in different shades of Purple. These flowers bloom till they almost cover up the entire plant. Sometimes, the plants bloom twice in two different seasons, often called early and late blooms. Moreover, the shrubs produce dark oval-shaped leaves, which are not left out in their aesthetic display.
The different varieties of dwarf Korean lilac offer different plant sizes, which makes them suitable for small spaces, borders, and even pots. However, note that most species grow up to a maximum height of four feet and spread about six feet when they are mature, which is fair if you provide it the right conditions.
– Care and Maintenance Guide
These drought-resistant shrubs require minimal watering, especially during the rainy season. They prefer direct sunlight, as this kind of exposure encourages the growth of their gorgeous, fragrant blooms. Most dwarf lilac species will adapt to different types of soils. However, they will not tolerate acidic soils, and when you place them in a condition that is wrong to their requirements, the trees will have a stressful moment.
4. Deutzia
Deutzia companion plants are elegant and graceful from the time that they start growing to the time when they are mature. These flowering shrubs need more credit for their beauty.
Thankfully, more people recognize its potential as companions for other plants in landscaping. These plants have about 60 varieties, most of which originated from several areas in China, Asia, Europe, and Central America. Overall, they belong to the hydrangea family, and their distinctive flowers and leaves are what make them so great.
– Features
Like most members of the hydrangea family, Deutzia plants produce lovely white fragrant flowers that sometimes have pink accents. They differ from the regular shapes of hydrangea flowers and instead take on an open bell-like form or sometimes a drooping elongated form.
Their blooms last only about two weeks during spring or mid-summer, as they would be graceful for a long time. They are also covered with light green leaves that change color and drop during fall.
– Care and Maintenance Guide
Taking care of Deutzia plants is typically easy, in addition, note that they are low-maintenance plants. These plants have minimal disease issues and can tolerate different soil types.
Their only concern is the soil moisture content. They prefer soils that aren’t water-logged. At the same time, they can be damaged by drought. Which basically means that it’s essential to balance their water needs properly.
5. Neon Flash Spirea
Neon Flash Spirea Companion Plants are semi-deciduous flowering shrubs. They are classified as Spiraea japonica. These plants are famous among landscapers and gardeners, especially in North America. They are members of the rose family. Several gardeners use them as border plants to beautify their landscapes.
– Features
These plants have distinct broad green leaves that grow elegantly on their branches. The leaves are densely packed on the shrubs, which makes them look like a thicket of greenery when the flowers are absent.
They produce dark pink flowers in clusters during early summer, which attracts all sorts of pollinators, including butterflies, bees, and birds. In addition, the surrounding flowers would also benefit from these pollinators too.
The mature plants grow only about three feet tall and wide. That’s small, even for a shrub. Neon flash spirea plants are highly susceptible to many pests and diseases. On the other hand, they can tolerate some drought, heat, humidity, wind, and large animals like deer and rabbits.
– Care and Maintenance Guide
Neon flash spirea plants are low-maintenance plants. These plants grow well in USDA hardiness zones four to nine and will survive under full to partial sun exposure. They will survive in sandy, loam, and clay soils as long as they have an acidic or neutral pH, moreover, they will sometimes tolerate soils with alkaline pH, depending on the variety.
6. Weigela
Weigela plants belong to the honeysuckle family. They are ornamental bushes, perfect for companion planting. These shrubs have several cultivars, most of which are indigenous to several parts of Asia. The variety that is frequently found in gardens is Weigela florida.
– Features
Weigela shrubs are neither fast-growing nor slow-growing. They grow at a moderate pace, adding about 24 inches to their heights yearly. They produce tiny pink flowers that birds and butterflies love to visit.
Mature Weigela shrubs grow about 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide and thrive in hardiness zones between four and eight in the USDA zone.
– Care and Maintenance Guide
Weigela shrubs are sun-loving; if you choose to grow them as companions for other plants, grow them in a space where they will receive total sunlight exposure.
These plants sometimes benefit from shade, especially when the weather is too hot. Remember to keep the soils that it is in moist, but well-drained conditions, which are perfect for growing these plants. Also, they love soils with a slightly acidic or alkaline pH.
Conclusion
There are numerous options of plants to pair with Cornus alba shrubs. You can choose to pair different varieties of the same plant or select two or more entirely different plants to grow with your ivory dogwood plants. Whichever way, the choice is yours, and you can get creative with it. To go over a few essential points:
- You need to select plants with similar growth requirements as ivory dogwoods for companion planting.
- When selecting companions, pay attention to flower, stem, and leaf contrasts to get the best aesthetic effect on your landscape.
- Pay close attention to the soil pH, soil type, soil moisture content, water, and sunlight needs of your plants to get the best growth outcome.
- Some of the companions listed above require full exposure to the sun to encourage flower development.
- Maintenance for most of the above-listed plants is easy and straightforward.
Companion planting can be really fun once you know the right plants to use. With the few plants listed in the article above, you now have some options of plants to pair with your ivory dogwood.
References
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/buxus-microphylla-var-japonica/&ved=2ahUKEwjx5pir-ID8AhXnXqQEHRF5DTUQFnoECC8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1eQQQE2WiZmSdzsqHnj5wL
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://conservationgardenpark.org/plants/781/neon-flash-spirea&ved=2ahUKEwjSybjdloH8AhUkQEEAHZriCNwQFnoECHMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2iMROPbR8TemrRisd77_56
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