Cornus elwinortonii Starlight - Flowering Dogwood

Cornus × elwinortonii ‘Starlight’ is an excellent hybrid dogwood, prized for its spectacular flowering, harmonious silhouette and excellent disease resistance. A cross between Cornus kousa and Cornus nuttallii, it combines the robustness of the former with the elegance of the latter. This small deciduous tree is adorned in spring with large cream-white bracts tinged with pink, followed by ornamental berries and then flamboyant autumn foliage. Its regular, well-proportioned habit makes this variety a magnificent specimen to plant as a standalone, in a loose hedge or at the back of a border.

Cornus × elwinortonii 'Starlight' is a superb hybrid resulting from a cross between Cornus kousa (Japanese/Chinese dogwood) and Cornus nuttallii (Pacific dogwood), developed by Dr Elwin Orton at Rutgers University. It forms a deciduous tree with a regular, dense, well-structured ovoid habit, reaching about 9m tall and 6m wide at maturity. In spring, it is adorned with large cream-white bracts measuring up to 12cm in diameter, highly decorative and long-lasting, appearing even on young plants. These bracts surround the inconspicuous flowers at the centre. In summer, they give way to rounded reddish-orange fruits, loved by birds. The deciduous foliage is lanceolate, a glossy dark green during the season, turning purplish red in autumn. The leaves measure between 7 and 12cm and have an entire margin.
One of the major assets of 'Starlight' is its exceptional disease resistance, particularly to anthracnose and powdery mildew, as well as its vigour. It is a hardy tree, well-suited to cool temperate climates, with a moderate to fast growth rate of around 30cm per year. It reaches about 4.50m in 10 years. This small tree prefers sunny or lightly shaded positions, moist, humus-bearing, slightly acidic and well-drained soil.
'Starlight' is part of the Jersey Star™ series, which brings together hybrid dogwoods with superior qualities: spectacular flowering, harmonious habit, excellent vegetative health and good adaptation to urban or landscape environments.

Cornus × 'Starlight' can be planted as a specimen on a lawn, at the edge of a copse or in a large shrub border. This tree thrives in relatively humid climates and in non-calcareous, humus-bearing soils. It can be associated with Japanese maples, hydrangeas or Hydrangea paniculata, or with woodland perennials such as ferns or giant hostas, to create a soft, ever-changing scene throughout the seasons.