variagated dogwood tree

Hi, moved into a house with an established garden 18months ago, there was a very overgrown what I think is a variagated dogwood which I ended up pruning right back to the soil almost. It now seems to be growing quite well except that some of the newer shoots that are red in colour have only white leaves on them and not the variagated green and white. What is the problem and should I cut them out.

Hi Joan,

It would help if you could post a photo.  Some varieties of cornus are grown not only for the leaf and stem colour, but also have large creamy white flower bracts - is this a possible explanation?

You are lucky, the main complaint is usually that the shrub is reverting to green.

Don't worry you should get variagation as the shoots mature.

thanks for replies, definitely not flower bracts but will adopt a bit of a wait and see attitude I think as much too wet to go into the garden anyway!!!!