Noteworthy Characteristics from Missouri Botanical Gardens

"STELLAR PINK is a hybrid dogwood (Cornus florida x Cornus kousa) that was developed by Elwin R. Orton, Jr. as part of the Stellar series of dogwoods released by Rutgers University. It is noted for its vigorous habit, large-bracted flowers, profuse bloom and resistance to anthracnose and dogwood borer. It is a small deciduous tree with a dense, upright habit. It has a uniform width from top to bottom, typically maturing to 15-20’ tall and as wide. Flowers bloom in spring. The true dogwood flowers are actually tiny, yellowish green and insignificant, being compacted into button-like clusters. However, each flower cluster is surrounded by four showy, petal-like, pink bracts which open flat, giving the appearance of a single, large, 3-5” diameter, 4-petaled, pink flower. Floral bracts on this cultivar are rounded and overlapping. Oval to elliptic, dark green leaves (4-6” long) turn attractive shades of purple-red in fall. STELLAR PINK is sterile and does not produce fruit. This hybrid cultivar is sometimes sold in commerce under the name of Cornus x rutgeriensis. U.S. Plant Patent PP7,207 was issued on March 27, 1990."