Cornus ‘Pumila’ — Redtip dogwood

Introduction

Redtip dogwood, Cornus ‘Pumila’, is a long-cultivated dwarf dogwood whose biological identity remains unresolved. It was circulating in German horticulture by the late nineteenth century and was later described as Cornus pumila. Modern dendrological treatment regards the plant as a cultivated taxon of uncertain, probably hybrid origin rather than a securely delimited wild species (Deasy et al. 2026).

Tree TSAR therefore gives ‘Pumila’ a species-level information page without adding it to the accepted species count. This preserves a searchable home for the historical names and for a horticultural clone that has generated repeated confusion. Reports of a supposedly wild or genomic C. pumila should be checked carefully because the name has also been misapplied to other dogwoods, including forms of C. alba.

Horticultural and Agricultural Uses

‘Pumila’ is a compact, slow-spreading shrub notable for young foliage that emerges reddish before turning dark green. White flower clusters and dark fruit can follow on established plants. Its restrained size distinguishes it from many vigorous shrubby dogwoods and explains its persistence in specialist collections (Deasy et al. 2026).

Because the taxon is a clone or clone-like horticultural entity of uncertain parentage, vegetative propagation is the only way to preserve its identity reliably. Seedlings should not be sold or catalogued as ‘Pumila’ unless they are separately named selections.

Conservation Concerns

Redtip dogwood is not a wild species-level conservation unit, so a Red List category would be inappropriate. Its conservation value is horticultural and historical. Authenticated old clones should be maintained in living collections, ideally with accession history, because misidentified material can perpetuate both taxonomic and phylogenetic confusion.

Additional Information

Trees and Shrubs Online (opens in a new tab) - Modern account treating Pumila as a horticultural taxon of uncertain origin.
Plants of the World Online - Cornus pumila (opens in a new tab) - Current Kew search for the historical species name; application is not treated by Tree TSAR as an accepted wild species.
International Plant Names Index (opens in a new tab) - Nomenclatural record search for the historical name.

References and Further Reading

Deasy M, Crowley D, Aldridge J, Chişu R (2026) Cornus ‘Pumila’. Trees and Shrubs Online. https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/cornus/cornus-pumila/ (opens in a new tab)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2026) Cornus pumila Koehne. Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=Cornus%20pumila%20Koehne (opens in a new tab)