Starlight Dogwood

Starlight® is a vigorous, upright hybrid dogwood selected for a canopy of large, lightly green-tinted white bracts and a rounded crown. Rutgers identifies the selection as KN4-43, while Oregon State University classifies it as Cornus × elwinortonii, a hybrid of Cornus kousa and Cornus nuttallii. [Rutgers Research](https://research.rutgers.edu/agricultural-products/dogwoods/starlight) and [Oregon State University](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/cornus-elwinortonii-starlight) document the selection and its parentage. ## Form and seasonal interest The tree develops a dense, upright oval crown. Oregon State reports a mature size near 30 feet tall and 23 feet wide; Rutgers describes trees over 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide after 30 years. Its abundant creamy-white bracts are 4–5 inches across, followed by orange-red, strawberry-like fruit in fall and possible reddish fall foliage. Rutgers reports USDA zone 6A, while Oregon State describes hardiness as a boundary between zones 6 and 7. ## Siting Plant in part shade where the mature canopy has room. Oregon State recommends well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter. The fruit and bold flowering make it useful as a flowering specimen tree. ## Maintenance Allow space for the mature crown and keep the root zone evenly supplied with moisture while the tree establishes. The available sources describe good vigor and disease resistance similar to C. kousa; prune selectively to preserve its naturally dense, upright branching.