Cornus × elwinortonii Starlight®
Common name: 
Starlight Dogwood
Pronunciation: 
KOR-nus el-win-or-TON-e-i
Family: 
Cornaceae
Genus: 
Cornus
Synonyms: 
Cornus 'KN4-43'
Cornus Starlight
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Broadleaf deciduous tree, may reach nearly 30 ft (10 m) tall and 23 ft (7 m) wide, densely branched, upright oval crown.  Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic shape, tip apiculate, margin entire, upper surface glossy green; fall foliage may be reddish.  Inconspicuous true flowers are surrounded by creamy white bracts that are comparable in size to those of C. kousa  Fruit cluster is a round mound with flattened base, orange-red color, most fruit are parthenocarpic (without seed) as the plants are highly cross-sterile, as well as self-incompatible, and hence very few seeds develop.
  • Part shade.  Best in well-drained, acid soils high in organic matter.  Disease and insect resistance similar to that of one of its parents, Cornus kousa.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone (6)7     From a cross of C. kousa × C. nuttallii by Dr. Elwin Orton of Rutgers University (patent, PP16,293; 2006), a dogwood hybrid of the Jersey Star™ series, which also includes Venus®.  The name Cornus × elwinortonii [PhytoKeys (55:93-111, 2015)] designates the hybrid created between Cornus kousa and Cornus nuttallii by Elwin Orton.
  • Oregon State Univ. campus: several on the west side of Gleeson Hall.
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  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • flowers and leaves

    flowers and leaves

  • fruit development

    fruit development

  • plant habit and leaves, fall

    plant habit and leaves, fall