Wolf Eyes Variegated Japanese Dogwood

Wolf Eyes Dogwood is a variegated Kousa Dogwood that will light up those shady corners of your landscape. This rare, choice flowering tree sports mint green foliage edged in white—so much white, in fact, that from a distance you might think the tree was in full bloom! When the creamy white flowers do arrive in late spring, there will be no mistaking those large, starry blooms for leaves. You’ll also want to revisit this spectacular variegated Dogwood tree in late summer when the cherry-sized red fruits ripen. They look like Cap’n Crunchberries, and they taste like papaya!

Japanese “Kousa” Dogwoods were unknown to the West until the 1870s, when Thomas Hogg, Jr. managed to send seeds to his brother in New York, who ran the nursery their father had established many years before. A U.S. Marshall in Japan, Hogg was able to get his hands on some of the choicest trees that we still grow today, like “Kousa” Dogwood, Japanese Stewartia, Katsura Tree, and Fragrant Snowbell. ‘Wolf Eyes’ was discovered in 1988 when it was found as a single branch mutation at Manor View Farm Nursery in Monkton, Maryland.

Looking for a specimen tree? Well, you found one! Gee… where to start?! The leaves are long, pointy and kind of crinkly looking, not to mention variegated! The green centers are surrounded by creamy white margins. Four large white bracts (that look like flower petals) form the star-shaped "flowers" in late spring/summer. As flowers fade, red-orange fruit takes over in late summer. Let's not forget about the awesome pink to red fall color!! Like I said, this is the specimen tree you've been looking for!