Surely if I had only one spot left in the landscape, I would go with the dogwood and enjoy it until its dying day (which with my track record would be a year lol). That viburnum sure is a looker though *whistles* tough choice

How did you get free shipping on soonerplantfarm? ;)

I can add a 1 gallon plant to the order and it won't effect shipping but a couple bucks.

I wish they didn't gouge you on shipping otherwise they'd really be a great mail order source.

My experience - If you're looking at a smaller sized golden Shadows, it will take probably 5 years before it starts getting any character to it. The Spring Meadow Nursery image is greatly enhanced IMO but the foliage is nice with some fall appeal.
Marshall

Mary Milton is not the hardiest thing(same goes for its pink buddy Molly Schroeder). Mine is 8 years old now and about 4' tall after all the winter dieback. It does bloom heavily, some years a good pink, some years a good white. The foliage is excellent, ridged and dark. It hasn't had any dieback for a couple years, so maybe it will keep going without death after several years of growth. I can guarantee the hardiness of Shasta, Shoshoni, Copper Ridges, Popcorn, Magic Puff(which I think is Shoshoni), Darts Red Robin, Newport, St. Keverne, and my own upright cultivar(coming soon to a theater near you). Some of the others are questionable.

I tried Golden Shadows, and I now have a nice big Cornus of some sort that needs digging up(The graft rootstock survived, Golden Shadows was pitifully whimpy).

I'm the wrong zone to discuss dieback, as we barely freeze, but I LOVE my Mary Milton. I don't like pink, and am not much of a flower fan (don't I sound like a grump?) but MM's flowers are such a lovely soft, peachy color. Some nice fall color, too. 'Onandaga' is another really nice one, somewhat similar. I also have Cornus 'Golden Shadows', although it is a young plant (I've only had it a year and a half or so). For what it is worth, it takes more shade here than MM does.

Here is a link that might be useful: Form and Foliage

I have a couple of small (2 ft) Golden Shadows that are four years or so. They really haven't grown much in that time unlike the wild pagodas dogwoods that grow everywhere in our woods and put on growth relatively quickly after the second growing season. They also haven't died, despite no extra care at all, so I can't really recommend it one way or the other at this point.

I do find that in general the voles like the roots of the wild pagoda dogwoods and several have died from having few roots (due being snacked upon) during drier years, so if you have vole problems Golden Shadows might not be a good choice.

And what did you end up with? Both? ;)

Its the strangest thing...Golden Shadows Dogwood.

Its almost as if I'm determined to try this plant now. If it croaks or doesn't perform I will be the ultimate hater since enough notable gardeners have tried it without success. I promise to start Golden Shadows very own hater post so no one will purchase it.

Its going to have northeast exposure near the house.

I bought this years ago from spring hill nursery, but I was told it was a bush. Unfortunately the photos of the plant were of the leaves and flowers only not the entire plant. Yesterday I hacked the plant down to about 1/3 of it's size because it resembled a very spindly tree and I needed a bush. We'll have to see what it does from here! Although the leaves are stunning, it's got way too much bare wood. Also worth noting, that I bought three and the one that received the most sun was more than twice the size of the others just a few feet away!