Variety: Scarlet Fire® Principal Investigator(s): Thomas Molnar, John Capik Achievements: 2022 Gold Medal Program - Outstanding Plants for the Mid-Atlantic Garden by the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society (PHS)
Strengths & Qualities
Rutgers’ first Cornus kousa in 45 years of breeding
Darkest, most-consistently pink-bracted selection, with deep pink to fuchsia coloration at its peak.
Dramatic bracts glow pink from a distance.
The original tree flowered heavy at only 4 years old and budded plants can set many floral buds only after two growing seasons!
The medium-to-large-size bracts are generally non-overlapping and pointed giving them a very distinct shape that along with their striking color sets this plant apart from other Kousa dogwoods in the landscape.
Developing bracts size up early and can be purple in color, with more pointed shape vs. the more rounded mature bracts.
Leaves are an attractive dark green with purple tinges in new growth, especially on young plants.
The moderately vigorous tree is well branched and grows 3+ feet in first year and to 8 feet tall in years 8-10.
Intellectual Property
US Plant Patent No. PP28,311 issued August 22, 2017
Variety 'H3DR11P21' of species Cornus kousa Burger ex Hance
U.S. Trademark Registration No. 5,069,732 Issued Oct. 25, 2016