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Stellar Nova™ dogwood

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Overview

Stellar Nova™ dogwood floral bracts showing their brilliant white color and heavy texture.

Cultivar: Cornus elwinortonii ‘Rutstar’ Stellar Nova™ dogwood
Principal Investigator(s): Thomas Molnar and John Capik
Main attributes: Stellar Nova™ dogwood features very large, bright‑white floral bracts, vigorous growth, and excellent leaf quality. It was specifically selected to complement Scarlet Fire® and Eternal Scarlet™ dogwoods, with its synchronous white blooms and strong architectural presence providing striking contrast in both color and form—ideal for creating coordinated, multi‑color landscape displays.

Strengths & Qualities

  • Large, bright‑white floral bracts that bloom later in the season than the previously released Rutgers dogwood hybrids like Stellar Pink® dogwood and with abundant flowering even on young trees.
  • Synchronous bloom timing with Scarlet Fire® and Eternal Scarlet™ dogwoods, making them ideal complementary plantings for creating coordinated, multi‑color landscape displays.
  • Although it blooms during the typical kousa dogwood period, its hybrid genetics provide superior traits, including larger bracts, stronger vigor, high‑quality foliage, and excellent summer performance—leaves do not curl in summer heat.
  • Overall, a resilient disease-free tree with multi-season interest that includes vivid white blooms, beautiful leaves, pretty bright red fruit display, and attractive purple-red fall color.

Intellectual Property

  • US Plant Patent No. 37,068P2 issued October 28, 2025
  • U.S. Trademark Registration Application No. 98853089 applied for Stellar Nova™ dogwood
  • Madrid Protocol International Trademark Registration Application No. A0158938 designating Canada, Japan, and EU applied for Stellar Nova™ dogwood
  • All trademarks are registered and continue to be enforced

Photos

Stellar Nova™ dogwood floral bracts showing their brilliant white color and heavy texture.
Stellar Nova™ dogwood floral bracts showing their brilliant white color and heavy texture.
Three-year-old grafted tree of Stellar Nova ™ dogwood showing heavy blooming nature and strong upright growth habit.
Three-year-old grafted tree of Stellar Nova ™ dogwood showing heavy blooming nature and strong upright growth habit.
Stellar Nova™ and Scarlet Fire® dogwoods showing synchronous bloom and excellent color contrast.
Stellar Nova™ and Scarlet Fire® dogwoods showing synchronous bloom and excellent color contrast.
Dark green, lustrous and heavily textured leaves of Stellar Nova™ dogwood in late spring are a vast improvement over most pure kousa cultivars and seedlings.
Dark green, lustrous and heavily textured leaves of Stellar Nova™ dogwood in late spring are a vast improvement over most pure kousa cultivars and seedlings.

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