The genus Cornus (dogwood), as presently understood (8), is comprised of 4 botanical sections. In 2 of these sections, the floral or involucral bracts extend well beyond the clusters of flowers and are the most conspicuous feature of the plant when in bloom. Five species are classified in these 2 sections but only 3 species are commonly grown in the United States. Both C. florida L. and C. nuttallii Audubon belong to section Cynoxylon while C. kousa Hance belongs to section Benthamia.
Regardless of the sectional classification, C. florida, C. kousa, and C. nuttallii are mutually sexually compatible. One cultivar (‘Eddie’s White Wonder’) resulted from a cross of C. nuttallii × C. florida, and Orton (6, and personal communication) has succeeded in crossing C. florida and C. nuttallii with C. kousa and also combining the three species in (C. florida × C. kousa) × C. nuttallii. These hybrids are currently being evaluted in New Jersey.
The natural range of C. florida comprises most of the United States east of the Mississippi River from Maine to Florida and from Michigan to Alabama. West of the Mississippi, the range extends to Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisianna. In western North America, C. nuttallii ranges from southern California along the coast north to British Columbia. No valid botanical varieties of these species have been recognized. The third widely cultivated species, C. kousa, occurs in Japan, Korea, and China. Osborn (7) erected var. chinensis in 1922 based on specimens grown at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts from seed collected from western Hupeh province in 1907 by E.H. Wilson. Our opinion is that this situation merely represents another case of the “geographical” western taxonomy that results from an imprecise knowledge of the range of variation within an exotic species. At any rate, use of “var. chinensis” in the American nursery trade at the present time more than likely does not even truly reflect the geographical origins of the plant material. A recent work from China (4) described var. angustata Chung from the wild, and also recognized var. chinensis. We are currently growing plants of both “varieties,” that resulted from the joint Sino-American Botanical Exploration in 1980, and should be able to evalute them in the near future.
Two other large-bracted species of the section Benthamia occur in Asia: C. hongkongensis Helmsley from Hong Kong and C. capitata Wallich from the Himalayas and south-central China, and the latter species has been grown for some time in California.
Our native C. florida has been widely studied, and three natural variations have been validly published at the rank of forma. The first to be described was f. rubra Weston. According to Wyman (10), the red-bracted C. florida was first found by Mark Catesby in Virginia in 1731. However, Miller in 1768 (5), stated that the red-bracted variety was “found wild in Virginia by Mr. Banister, and afterward by Mr. Catesby.” Current evidence suggests that this form was indeed found by the Rev. John Banister (1650-1692) in Virginia in the late 1600s. Banister’s Catalogue (Cat. Stirp. Virgin.) was contained in volume two of John Ray’s Historia Plantarum published in 1688, and included the entry “Cornus Virginiana flosculis plurimus albidis ex involucro tetrapetala rubro erumptentibus” (2, p. 185). Other formae are f. xanthocarpa Rehder, with yellow fruit (instead of red) and f. pluribracteata Rehder, with an increased number (more than 4) of bracts. It must be noted that these valid forma names (pluribracteata, rubra, and xanthocarpa) are not valid at the cultivar level. Indeed, there may be several cultivars with multiple bracts, red or pink bracts, or yellow fruit. At the present time, plants with these traits must be vegetatively propagated by the nursery trade, and the pink-bracted plants offered by any given nursery may be all of a single, selected, and often unnamed, genotype. However, the most that the incorrect designation as ‘Rubra’ can denote is that the plants will have pink or red bracts. There are also pink-bracted and yellow-fruited cultivars of C. kousa, but these have not been described at the forma level.
While we were compiling these checklists, it became painfully obvious that there was a great deal of commercial synonymy, especially among the pink-bracted selections of C. florida, in the American nursery trade. For instance, several nurserymen have ventured the opinion that most, if not all, red-bracted cultivars are really ‘Cherokee Chief.’ In the absence of any real “finger-printing” studies or other reliable data, we have been wary of designating many names as commercial synonyms. Where this has been done, we have relied on the information supplied by the seller or introducer of the synonymous cultivar.
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University has been the International Registrar for cultivar names in Cornus and, in 1961 (3), published the first checklist for this genus, based largely on an earlier work from the same institution (10). That checklist included 33 cultivar names for C. florida alone. Of those 33 names, we have rejected 3, found earlier references for 9, and also found 9 other names published before 1960. Our present checklist includes more than 100 names of C. florida cultivars, but we suspect that several more may have been missed. For additions to the checklist of C. kousa, we are especially indebted to Barry Yinger, U.S. National Arboretum, for information on Japanese cultivars, and to Mrs. Mary B. Wakefield, Milton, Massachusetts for supplying names of her patented cultivars. We also thank the Arnold Arboretum for permission to prepare these revised and updated checklists.
Cultivar checklists are published to encouarge and promote stability and understanding of the nomenclature of cultivated plants, based on the provisions of the Code (1). In most of our previous checklists (9, and others), it has also been possible to shed some light on the biological distinctness and other aspects of the various cultivars. The current potential confusion in cultivar synonymy makes it imperative that the ultimate users of these cultivars be aware not only of the cultivar name under which they purchased the plants, but also the nursery source and year. Only in this way can past errors be avoided and past successes repeated.
In the checklists that follow, the cultivars are discussed under their respective species which are listed in alphabetical order. As in previous checklists, VALID CULTIVAR names are shown in boldface capitals and INVALID CULTIVAR names in lightface capitals.
Cornus florida
ABUNDANCE (M.A. Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Rev. Ed., 1977, p. 139) — probably the same as CLOUD 9.
ALBA PLENA (Hess’ Nurs., Mountain View, New Jersey, Price List, Spring 1945) — as Cornus florida alba plena, without description.
AMERICAN BEAUTY RED (Green Hill Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1960-Spring 1961, p. 2) — red bloom, leaves scarlet on new growth. May be a commercial synonym for CHEROKEE CHIEF.
APPLE BLOSSOM (Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio, Cat. 1962, p. 165) — with “flowers” the color of apple blossoms. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23: 85-92, 1963). Originated at Hoyt’s Sons Nurs., New Canaan, Connecticut.
ASCENDING — Registered as AAN Register 365 (without description) in Proc. Amer. Assoc. Nurserymen 78th Ann. Conv., 1953, p. 126, by E.H. Scanlon, Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Also, probably illustrated (without name) in Trees Mag. 12(2): 16, 1952. According to R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961, this cultivar is characterized by having a strong central leader with branches emerging at a 30-degree angle.
AUREA VARIEGATA (Brimfield Gardens Nurs., Wethersfield, Connecticut, undated 1961 catalog, p. 12) – without description. D. Wyman in Amer. Nurseryman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960, used the name ‘aureo-variegata’ and stated that it was listed by Brimfield Nurs. in 1958 and that the plant was “identical with that known in the trade as the Kingsville form of C. florida cv. Welch!.” Whether or not this is a distinct cultivar, we consider the name invalid because it was published in Latin form after January 1, 1959.
AUREO-VARIEGATA (D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960) = AUREA VARIEGATA.
BARTON (Tennessee Valley Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Trade List, Fall 1969-Spring 1970, p. 25) — early blooming white, upright grower with overlapping bracts. Selected by Marvin Barton of Birmingham, Alabama in 1956.
BELMONT PINK — According to D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960, this plant was “found and named by Henry Hicks, Hicks’ Nurseries, Westbury, L.I., N.Y. about 1930. It was introduced, but since has disappeared.” Not found in Hicks’ catalogs up to 1932. R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961, stated that the bracts are pale pink.
BIG GIANT (Groves Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1969-Spring 1970, p. 1) — white large blooms.
BONNIE (Louisiana Nurs., Opelousas, Louisiana, Price List Fall 1982-Spring 1983, p. 11) — “a Louisiana selection with giant 6 “white flowers.” Tree native in Union Parish on property of Bonnie Gaddis and selected by Dr. T.E. Pope of Louisiana State University. Blooms on wild tree average 4.5 inches across. First propagated and distributed by Robert Young Nurs., Forest Hill, Louisiana.
BOYD’S GOLD SPOT — Name found in records of Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Tyler Arboretum, Lima, Pennsylvania obtained from Howell Nurs., Knoxville, Tennessee. Developed by Boyd Nurs., McMinnville, Tennessee, but never offered commercially.
BROADVIEW RED (Byers Nurs., Huntsville, Alabama, Wholesale Price List, 1980-1981, p. 12, and perhaps earlier catalogs) — without description. May be a commercial synonvm for CHEROKEE CHIEF.
BYER’S WHITE — Name found in records of Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Tyler Arboretum, Lima, Pennsylvania obtained from Byers Nurs., Huntsville, Alabama, in 1971. No cultivar sold commercially under this name.
CHEROKEE CHIEF (Ike Hawkersmith Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1957-Spring 1958, p. 8-9) — without description. Plant Patent No. 1710, May 20, 1958, bloom bracts distinctly outstanding, being a Spirea Red color with little to no fading at anthesis. This is probably the same plant listed by Hawkersmith Nurs., Wholesale Price List, Fall 1956-Spring 1957, p. 12-13, as Super Red. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23(5): 85-92, 1963).
CHEROKEE PRINCESS (Hawkersmith & Sons Nurs., Tullahoma, Tennessee, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1959-Spring 1960, p. 15) — as Sno-white dogwood. An introduction of Hawkersmith Nurs. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23(5): 85-92, 1963.
CHEROKEE SUNSET (S.A. Spongberg, AABGA Bull. 14(4): 97-100, 1980) — white-bracted, with bright red new growth and variegated foliage. Introduced by H.A. Nicholson, Commercial Nurs. Co., Decherd, Tennessee.
CLOUD 9 (Chase Nurs., Chase, Alabama, Wholesale Trade List, Fall 1962-Spring 1963, p. 6, illus. cover) — extremely prolific and precocious in flowering, with overlapping bracts. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23: 85-92, 1963). Plant Patent No. 2112, December 26, 1961.
CLOUD NINE = CLOUD 9.
COMPACTI (Amer. Assoc. Nurserymen, 1963, Plant Patents With Common Names, 1931-1962, p. 30) — without description. Plant Patent No. 1387, April 26, 1955 by Alex Toth, Madison, Ohio. Dwarf plant only 4 feet in height at 8 to 10 years of age. Name considered valid even though in Latin form after January 1, 1959 because the plant was patented before that date.
DE KALB RED (R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21(2): 9-18, 1961) — having a semi-dwarf habit and deep, rich, heavy, wine-red bracts. Plant Patent No. 965, July 18, 1950 by Eugene Muller, Norristown, Pennsylvania and named for De Kalb Nurs., Norristown. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23(5): 85-92, 1963).
DONEWELL — Name found in records of Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Holden Arboretum, Mentor, Ohio, obtained in 1971 from Donewell Nurs., Mentor, Ohio, died in 1974. No further data found.
DOUBLE (H.P. Kelsey and W.A. Dayton, Standardized Plant Names, 1942, p. 139) = PLURIBRACTEATA.
DWARF VARIEGATED — Name found in records of Plant Sciences Data Center of American Horticultural Society; plant at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia, obtained in 1976 from Blankenship Nurs. Unable to find validating description.
EDDIE’S WHITE WONDER — a hybrid between C. nuttallii and C. florida, but fully described under C. nuttallii because the fruit is more similar to the maternal parent.
FASTIGIATA — Registered as var. fastigiata as AAN Register 174 in Woody Plant Register, List No. 1, Amer. Assoc. Nurserymen, Proc. 74th Ann. Conv., 1949, p. 9. Fastigiate form originating at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts; registered by Donald Wyman.
FASTIGIATUM (L. Lipp, Arb. Leaves 2: 22-24, 1960) = FASTIGIATA.
FIRST LADY (Boyd Nurs. Co., McMinnville, Tennessee, Wholesale Trade List, Winter 1969-Spring 1970, cover, illus.) — fast growing with white flowers, variegated foliage changing from green and yellow to maroon and pink. Plant Patent No. 2916, August 12, 1969. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 29: 1-8, 1969).
FLORE RUBRO (Meehan’s Nurs., Germantown, Pennsylvania, Cat. 1893, p. 7-8) — as var. flore rubro with deep red flowers.
FRAGRANT CLOUD (Chase Nurs., Chase, Alabama, Wholesale Cat. 1972-1973, p. 7) — white bracts, flowers with fragrance like gardenia. Plant Patent No. 2819, July 16, 1968, by D.E. Bebb, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Described as with fragrance of honeysuckle.
FRUCTI LUTEO (Westbury Rose Co., Westbury, Long Island, New York, Spring 1950 Price List, p. 5) — without description; undoubtedly yellow-fruited but not considered a cultivar name.
GIGANTEA — According to D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman 111(9); 10-11, 105-111, 1960, this plant was found and named by Paul Vossburg, Westbury Rose Co., Long Island, New York, on the nearby Phipps estate about 1932. Flower bracts six inches from tip to tip.
GREEN GLOW (Handy Nurs. Co., Portland, Oregon, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1973-Spring 1974, p. 8) — a mutation of ‘Welchii,’; a slight golden vein in the leaves, large dark green leaves, brilliant fall color. Plant Patent No. 4444, July 31, 1979. Upright growth habit.
HILLENMEYER (Tennessee Valley Nursery, Winchester, Tennessee, Trade List, Fall 1959-Spring 1960, p. 11) — outstanding white dogwood, excellent grower, early bloomer.
HOHMAN’S GOLDEN (Hess’ Nurs., Wayne, New Jersey, Price List, Fall 1964-Spring 1965) — without description. According to S.A. Spongberg, AABGA Bull. 11(1): 13-15, 1977, the leaves of this cultivar are variegated.
IMPERIAL WHITE (Plant Patent No. 4242, April 18, 1978) —
patented by Elizabeth P. Blow and Muriel F. Steppe, Raleigh, North Carolina. Unlike most patents before 1982, this contains the cultivar name. Plant with large white bracts and “flower” diameter up to 6 inches.
JR. MISS = WELCH’S JUNIOR MISS.
JUDGE YARNELL — Name found in records of the Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant (with yellow fruit) at the U.S. National Arboretum obtained as scion from the University of Tennessee Aboretum in 1966. Name invalid because of lack of published description.
JUNIOR MISS = WELCH’S JUNIOR MISS.
LINDLEY (A. Rehder, Jour. Arn. Arb. 7: 239-244, 1926) — in erecting f. pluribracteata, Rehder partially based this taxon on “Lindley’s New Double Flowering Dogwood” (Thomas C. Hunt, 4 p., 2 ill., Boston — about 1915?). We have not been able to find the original reference, but have accepted ‘Lindley’ as a valid name, even though there may be no plants extant with this designation.
MAGNIFICA (Westbury Rose Co., Westbury, Long Island, New York, Price List, Spring 1950, p. 5) — without description. D. Wyman, Amer. Nurserymen 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960 stated that this plant was found on the Phipps estate on Long Island about 1926. Plant with full rounded bracts about four inches from tip to tip.
MARY ELLEN (Tennessee Valley Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Trade List, Fall 1969-Spring 1970, p. 25) — double white flowering dogwood.
MOON (Howell Nurs., Knoxville, Tennessee, undated 1937 Cat., p. 10) — unusually large-bracted floriferous white dogwood.
MULTIBRACTEATA (De Wilde’s Rhodo-Lake Nurs., Bridgeton, New Jersey, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1958-Spring 1959, p. 10) — as C. florida multibracteatum, double flowered.
MYSTERY (Chocola Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, undated 1965 Cat.) — white (bracts) with red splotches. Plant Patent No. 2622, April 19, 1966. Tree with compact growth habit, drought resistance, and dark green foliage.
NANA (R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21(2): 9-18, 1961) = COMPACTI.
NANUM (L. Lipp, Arb. Leaves 2: 22-24, 1960) = COMPACTI.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (H.G. Mattoon (Ed.), Plant Buyer’s Guide, Ed. 6, 1958, p. 104) — without description, but Hetherfells Nurs., Andover, Massachusetts given as a source. D. Wyman, Amer. Nurserman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960 stated that this was a tree selected by Heinrich Rohrbach (Hetherfell’s Nurs.) from a hardy, flower-producing tree at Atkinson, New Hampshire. Not in Hetherfells catalogs 1958-1962.
PENDULA (Meehan’s Nurs., Germantown, Pennsylvania, Cat. 1893, p. 8, and perhaps earlier catalogs) — as Cornus var. pendula, weeping dogwood, found wild in Maryland; has…”an upright central shoot from which pendulous side branches emerge as it grows.” This is the same tree described by Meehan in 1881 (see WEEPING) and is also probably the same plant as that described as “Pendula” in lllustrierte Gartenzeitung 12: 508-511, 1887.
PINK FLAME (S.A. Spongberg, AABGA Bull. 14(4): 97-100, 1980) — as a sport of Cornus florida f. rubra, with variegated foliage. Plant Patent No. 4300, September 12, 1978; pink bracts, with wrinkled leaves variegated green and yellow. Discovered by Mel Wills, Fairview, Oregon.
PINK SACHET (Plant Patent No. 3993, December 21, 1976) — patented by C.M. Steppe, Raleigh, North Carolina. Unlike most patents before 1982, this contains the cultivar name. May have arisen as a chance radiation-induced mutation of ‘Cherokee Chief’; with red bracts, and floral fragrance of gardenia, honeysuckle, and calycanthus combined.
PLENA (Howell Nurs., Knoxville, Tennessee, undated 1937 Cat., p. 10) — as C. florida plena, double white dogwood. PLURIBRACTEATA (A. Rehder, Jour. Arn. Arb. 7: 239-244, 1926) — as f. pluribracteata, based on multi-bracted specimen collected in North Carolina, but also mentioning a similar plant from Texas. Therefore, even though the North Carolina plant has been propagated (as “Lindley’s New Double Flowering Dogwood”), the name ‘Pluribracteata’ cannot be valid for only that cultivar. The name is, however, valid at the rank of forma, as Rehder intended.
POINSETT (Girard Nurs., Geneva, Ohio, Cat. 1978, p. 35) — compact and vigorous growth, leaves long and pointed, turning red in fall; the berries are golden yellow and these, in the center of a group of autumn leaves, resemble a poinsettia.
PRESIDENT FORD (S.A. Spongberg, AABGA Bull. 11:13-15, 1977) — discovered at Verkade’s Nurs., Wayne, New Jersey, in 1968; with variegated foliage that retains this characteristic even after several killing frosts.
PRESIDENT GERALD. R. FORD (Verkade’s Nurs., Wayne, New Jersey, Wholesale Price List, 1976-77, p. 7) — although the originator of a cultivar may have the right to change its name (see PRESIDENT FORD), this designation is invalid according to the Code because it contains more than 3 elements.
PROSSER (Hess’ Nurs., Mountain View, New Jersey, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1950-Spring 1951) — as C. florida rubra Prosser. According to R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961, the original plant was obtained from the wild on the Prosser property near Knoxville, Tennessee about the time of the First World War. D. Wyman, Amer. Nurserman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960 stated that the bracts were a dark red but that the plant was very slow to bloom.
PROSSER RED (R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961) — this name was used in the checklist with reference to H.R. Halloway (‘Prosser’s Red’), and was also used by G. Krussmann, Handbuch der Laubgeholze, Ed. 2, 1976, Vol. 1, p. 400, = PROSSER.
PROSSER’S RED (H.R. Halloway, Arb. Bull. (Univ. Wash.) 19: 120, 133, 1956) = PROSSER.
PURPLE GLORY (Plant Patent No. 4627, January 20, 1981) — including name; with purple leaves and dark red bracts. Patented by C.C. Boyd, McMinnville, Tennessee and listed in Boyd Nurs., Wholesale Price List, Winter-Spring, 1983, p. 4.
PURPLE SPENDOR (D. Wyman, Arnoldia, 29: 1-8, 1969) — a plant with purple leaves at Boyd Nurs., McMinnville, Tennessee, registered by R.D. MacDonald, Univ. of Tennessee Arboretum. This is undoubtedly the same plant patented as PURPLE GLORY by the originators.
PYGMAEA — Name found in the records of the Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Winterthur Gardens, Delaware received from Kingsville Nurs., Kingsville, Maryland in 1967. No further data found, but the name is invalid because in Latin form after January 1, 1959.
PYGMY (Hawkersmith & Sons Nurs., Tullahoma, Tennessee, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1962-Spring 1963, p. 14, illus.) — dwarf white flowering dogwood. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 27: 61-66, 1967). At 8 years of age the plant was approximately 4 feet high.
PYRAMIDALIS (Tingle Nurs., Pittsville, Maryland, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1964-Spring 1965, p. 10) — without description. Tingle’s interchanged ‘Fastigiata’ and ‘Pyramidalis’ from 1963 to 1967, but used ‘Pyramidalis’ thereafter. However, there is a valid FASTIGIATA, and ‘Pyramidalis’ would be invalid because in Latin form after 1959.
RAINBOW (J. Frank Schmidt & Son, Boring, Oregon, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1968-Spring 1969, p. 6) — white blossoms; bright yellow and green leaves turn brilliant scarlet and blue-lavender in the fall. Plant Patent No. 2743, May 16, 1967. Found by Armond Marzilli, Canton, Ohio as a sport from stump sprouts.
RED CLOUD (Green Hill Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1974-Spring 1975, p. 2) — improved pink; leaves with crinkled margins.
RED FLOWERING (H.P. Kelsey and W.A. Dayton, Standardized Plant Names, 1942, p. 139) = RUBRA.
RED GIANT (Kawaguchi Trade Center, Kawaguchi, Japan, undated 1981 Cat., illus. opp. p. 18) — without description, but having red bracts with white tips. Validated here for first time.
REDLEAF (Byers Nurs., Huntsville, Alabama, Wholesale Price List, 1980-1981, p. 12, and perhaps earlier catalogs) — without description. Plant with red flowers and leaves which remain reddish all summer. Validated here for the first time.
RICH-RED (Weston Nurs., Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Cat. 1960, p. 24) — new red flowers.
ROBERT’S PINK (Louisiana Nurs., Opelousas, Louisiana, Price List Fall 1982-Spring 1983, p. 11) — a choice pink flowering dogwood. Apparently a native of Louisiana and selected by Sam Stokes in the early 1900s. Propagated and distributed by Robert Young Nurs., Forest Hill, Louisiana.
ROCHESTER RED — Name found in the records of the Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society; plant at Arthur Hoyt Scott Foundation, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, obtained from Verkade’s Nurs., Wayne, New Jersey in 1933. Unable to find a description to validate this cultivar.
ROSEA (E.-A. Carriere and Ed. Andre, Rev. Horticole, 63: 369, 1891) — in a sort of “editorial” entitled “Cornus florida rosea”, the authors suggested that the color of a pink-bracted dogwood represented in an oil painting they received in 1879 from Parsons Nurs. in Flushing, New York was exaggerated to a deep red, as was also an illustration in the catalog of Th. Meehan and Sons (Nurs.) in Germantown (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania. The name ‘Rosea’ given here was considered a valid cultivar name by R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961, but is not even based on a live plant specimen.
ROSE VALLEY (F. & F. Nurs., Holmdel, New Jersey, Cat. Autumn, 1945, p. 6) — with light pink bracts.
ROYAL RED (Broadview Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Wholesale Trade List, Fall 1962-Spring 1963, p. 5) — blooms are a deep red and leaves are blood red in early spring.
RUBRA — Plant with red bracts first described as a botanical variety by R. Weston, Universal Botanist and Nurseryman, London, 1770, p. 73. Later, properly classified as a forma by E. Schelle, Mitt. Deutsch. Dendr. Ges. 24: 172-212, 1915. This name is not valid at the cultivar level.
SALICIFOLIA (E.L. Kammerer, Morton Arb. Bull. Pop. Inform. 25: 17-21, 1950) — with narrow, willow-like leaves; apparently originated at the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.
SELECT RED (Hess’ Nurs., Wayne, New Jersey, Price List, Fall 1964-Spring 1965) — as C. florida rubra (Select Red).
SPRING SONG (Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio, Cat. 1962, p. 165) — with rose-red bracts. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23: 85-92, 1963). Originated at Hoyt’s Sons Nurs., New Canaan, Connecticut.
SPRINGTIME — According to D. Wyman, Arnoldia 27: 61-66, 1967, the original tree was selected from a planting in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinatti, Ohio, in 1957 by E.C. Kern of Wyoming, Ohio, who introduced it in 1960. “Flowers” up to 5 inches in diameter.
STARKII (Hortus Third, 1976, p. 314) — without description. This could be the plant with “giant” flowers patented by H.H. Owens, Barbourville, Kentucky (Plant Patent No. 442, January 21, 1941) and assigned to Stark Bros. Nurs., Louisiana, Missouri. We have never seen the name and descriptive data published together and consider the name invalid for this reason.
STEELE’S FASTIGIATE (de Wilde’s Rhodo-Lake Nurs., Wholesale Price List, Fall 1960-Spring 1961, p. 11) — “upright branching type, darker green foliage and larger flowers than ordinary white dogwood.”
SUPER RED (Hillenmeyer, Nurs., Lexington, Kentucky, Cat. Fall 1959-Spring 1960, p. 10) — we considered this a commercial synonym for CHEROKEE CHIEF.
SWEETWATER RED — Registered by D. Wyman, Arnoldia 23: 85-91, 1963; selected in 1954 by Howell Nurs., Knoxville, Tennessee, and introduced in 1961. However, the cover of the Spring, 1962 Wholesale Trade List of Boyd Nurs., Co., McMinnville, Tennessee featured and illustrated the “new” ‘Sweetwater.’ We have chosen to recognize the registration name as valid. Blooms a distinct rich red, with reddish young vegetative growth.
Wholesale Price List, Fall 1960-Spring 1961, p. 10) — with large flowers.
TRICOLOR (Hollandia Gardens, Seattle, Washington, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1967-Spring 1968, p. 2) — without description. Listed by Handy Nurs., Wholesale Price List, Fall 1981-Spring 1982, p. 11, as synonymous with WELCHII.
URBANA — Name found in records of Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Arthur Hoyt Scott Foundation, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; no further data found.
VAN KLEEF SPECIAL (Raraflora, Feasterville, Pennsylvania, undated Cat., p. 23) — without description. The Holden Arboretum, Mentor, Ohio, received a plant of this cultivar in 1962, but it died in 1967. Name invalid because of lack of published description.
VARIEGATA (Westbury Rose Co., Westbury, Long Island, New York, Cat. 1947) — with variegated leaves.
VARILEAF (H.P. Kelsey and W.A. Dayton, Standardized Plant Names, 1942, p. 139) = WELCHII.
WEAVER (Glen Saint Mary Nurs. Co., Glen Saint Mary, Florida, Cat. 1941, p. 13) — with stronger and larger foliage, and larger and more numerous blooms.
WEEPING (T. Meehan, Gardener’s Monthly, 23: 229-230, 1881) — with pendulous branches; propagated from a plant discovered in Maryland. = PENDULA.
WELCH BAY BEAUTY (Welch Bros. Nurs., Wilmar, Alabama, Price List, Fall 1978-Spring 1979, p. 3) — blooms composed of 7 sets of whorled white bracts; blooms up to 4.5 to 5.5 inches wide; lower bracts shed before those above. Trees bloom at early age and blooms last longer than most dogwoods. Apparently found in the wild in Baldwin Co., Alabama, in 1972.
WELCHII (Cole Nurs. Co., Painesville, Ohio, Cat. Spring 1930, p. 21) — as Cornus florida welchii, Welch Variegated-leaved Dogwood, beautiful new form, 20 feet. According to D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960, this cultivar was selected by Mark Welch, a nurseryman, about 1920; leaves a combination of green, creamy white, and pink.
WELCH’S JUNIOR MISS - Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (D. Wyman, Arnoldia 29: 1-8, 1969) — with deep red bracts with white base and small white tips; found as a wild plant in 1957 by C.H. Welch (Welch Bros. Nurs.) in Mobile County, Alabama. Listed as ‘Welch Junior Miss’ in Welch Nurs. catalogs.
WHITE CLOUD (Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio, Cat. 1947, p. 155) — selected for early and abundant flowering.
WHITE GIANT (Broadview Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, Wholesale Trade List, Fall 1962-Spring 1963, p. 6) — “one of the best and largest blooming dogwoods.”
WILLIAM’S RED (Louisiana Nurs., Opelousas, Louisiana, Price List Fall 1982-Spring 1983, p. 11) — a deep rose-red flowering dogwood. Selected in cultivation at William’s Nurs., Forest Hill, Louisiana.
WILLOWLEAF (H.P. Kelsey and W.A. Dayton, Standardized Plant Names, 1942, p. 139) = SALICIFOLIA.
WILLSII (G. Krussmann, Deutsche Baumschule 7: 220, 1955) — leaves gray-green, with white margins, and somewhat blistered; found in a nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands, but of unknown origin. The author requested information on this point.
WORLD’S FAIR (Boyd Nurs. Co., McMinnville, Tennessee, Wholesale Trade List, Spring 1984, p. 1) — white blossoms produced in abundance at a very young age, stocky trunk and large diameter limbs, drought resistant, hardy to −7°F.
XANTHOCARPA (A. Rehder, Jour. Arn. Arb. 2: 174-180, 1921) — as f. xanthocarpa, with yellow fruit, based on a specimen from North Carolina, but also mentioning a similar plant from Long Island, New York. Since more than one genotype was placed under this valid forma, we cannot consider the name valid at the cultivar level.
XANTHOCARPA NO. 7 — Name found in records of the Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Tyler Arboretum, Lima, Pennsylvania, obtained from Tennessee Valley Nurs., Winchester, Tennessee, in 1971, but never offered for sale.
YELLOW NO. 7 — Name found in records of Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Plant at Arthur Hoyt Scott Foundation, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, obtained from Tyler Arboretum, Lima, Pennsylvania. Probably the same as ‘Xanthocarpa No. 7.’
Cornus kousa
BIG APPLE — Registered with the Arnold Arboretum by Polly Hill of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. A large spreading tree with heavy textured dark green leaves and very large fruit; hardy to −5°F. To be published in an article by S.A. Spongberg.
CHINENSIS (A.O(sborn), Gard. Chron. Ill, 72: 310, 1922) - as var. chinensis, based on cultivated plants grown from seed collected in China. Not valid as a cultivar name and relatively meaningless as a variety name.
DWARF PINK — Introduced by Shibamichi Kanjiro Co. Ltd., Akayema, Kawaguchi City, Saitama, Japan in 1981, and may have appeared in Japanese language catalogs. The plant was found wild in Gumma Prefecture, and produces light pink bracts; low, spreading growth habit with a maximum height of 6 to 9 feet. Plants brought into the United States by Barry Yinger and Carl Hahn are under test at Brookside Gardens of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
ELIZABETH LUSTGARTEN - Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (S.A. Spongberg, AABGA Bull. 12: 65-67, 1978). Original plant selected by Baier Lustgarten from seedlings grown at Lustgarten Nurs., Middle Island, Long Island, New York. Introduced by James Cross, Cutchogue, New York. Plant upright but lateral branches weeping.
FANFARE — Name applied to plant patented by Mary B. Wakefield, Milton, Massachusetts. Plant Patent No. 3296, January 16, 1973. Plant with fastigiate upright growth habit; hardy to −20°F. The name MOONBEAM had been mistakenly associated with this patent number in Amer. Assoc. Nurserymen, 1974, Plant Patents With Common Names, 1969-1973, p. 7, FANFARE is validated here for the first time. Plant currently not in commerce.
GAY HEAD — Registered with the Arnold Arboretum by Polly Hill of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Tree of medium size, floral bracts of different sizes and variously curved and ruffled; hardy to −5°F. To be published in an article by S.A. Spongberg.
GOLD STAR (Sakata Nurs., Yokohama, Japan, Cat. Spring 1978, p. 19, illus.) — leaves green with irregular butteryellow blotch in center. Also listed and illustrated in Wayside Gardens, Hodges, South Carolina, Cat. 1983, p. 3. Registered with the U.S. National Arboretum and will be published in an article by T.R. Dudley.
LIGUSTRUM WEEPING = LUSTGARTEN WEEPING.
LUSTGARTEN WEEPING — Registered as ‘Ligustrum Weeping’ (typographical error) by the Arnold Arboretum (Anon., AABGA Bull. 9: 44-47, 1975); error pointed out by S.A. Spongberg, AABGA Bull. 12: 65-67, 1978. A seedling selection made at Lustgarten Nurs., Middle Island, Long Island, New York and introduced by J.E. Cross, Cutchogue, New York. Weeping type with no tendency for stem or trunk to develop upward; all branches arch over at about 12 to 15 inches above ground in prostrate or low weeping habit.
MADAME BUTTERFLY — Registered with the Arnold Arboretum by D.G. Leach, North Madison, Ohio. An extremely floriferous plant with flowers borne on long pedicels and floral bracts turning vertical about the midpoint of their length — giving the appearance of butterflies on the branches. To be published in an article by S.A. Spongberg.
MILKY WAY (Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio, Cat. 1961, p. 160) — as Cornus kousa chinensis “Milky Way,” blooms at early age. Probably not a vegetatively propagated cultivar, but only seedlings from selected parents.
MOONBEAM — Name applied to plant patented by Mary B. Wakefield, Milton, Massachusetts. Plant Patent No. 3482, February 19, 1974. Flowers 7 to 8 inches in diameter, on long peduncles inclined so blooms are readily visible at eye level; plant hardy to −20°F. Name had been mistakenly applied to Plant Patent No. 3296 in Amer. Assoc. Nurserymen, 1974, Plant Patents With Common Names, 1969-1973, p. 7. Name validated here for the first time. Plant currently not in commerce.
PROLIFIC (F.J. Grootendorst & Sons, Boskoop, Holland, Wholesale Price List, U.S.A. edition, Fall 1968-Spring 1969, p. 15, and perhaps earlier catalogs) — Japanese flowering dogwood, white flower-bracts in June, slightly hardier than C. florida.
ROCHESTER (Dilatush Nurs., Robbinsville, New Jersey, Additions to the Handbook, 1978, p. 2) — “has greater vigor than the species norm.”
ROSEA (Kawaguchi Trade Center, Kawaguchi, Japan, undated 1981 Cat., illus. opp. p. 18) — without description, but having pink- to rose-colored bracts. Name invalid because in Latin form after January 1, 1959.
RUBRA (B. Blackburn, Popular Gardening 3(4): 42, 66, 1952) — as forma rubra (f. nov.); based on a plant selected by H.J. Hohman (ca. 1950), Kingsville Nurs., Kingsville, Maryland. Plant with pink bracts. Accepted as a cultivar in checklist by R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961. However, this plant was never listed in Kingsville Nurs. catalogs and may have been a transient variation that was not evident after grafting propagation.
SILVERSTAR (Amer. Assoc. Nurserymen, 1974, Plant Patents With Common Names, 1969-1973, p. 7) — without description. Plant Patent No. 3261, August 22, 1972. Discovered and patented by Mary B. Wakefield, Milton, massachusetts. Plant with upright arching, vaseshaped growth habit and smooth exfoliating bark; hardy to −20°F. Plant currently not in commerce.
SINENSIS (F.J. Grootendorst & Sons, Boskoop, Holland, Wholesale Price List, U.S.A. edition, Fall 1968-Spring 1969, p. 15, and perhaps earlier catalogs) — vigorous grower, larger long-lasting white flower-bracts, turning pink when fading. Doubtful whether this was intended to be a cultivar name, and it may indeed be a variant of “var. chinensis.”
SQUARE DANCE — Registered with the Arnold Arboretum by Polly Hill of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Upright growth habit with flowers most visible from above; hardy to −5°F. To be published in an article by S.A. Spongberg.
SNOWBOY (Sakata Nurs., Yokohama, Japan, Cat. Spring 1978, p. 19, illus.) — leaves pale gray-green with regular to irregular white margin 2 to 5 mm. wide, and with occasional splashes of yellow-green variegation throughout leaf. Registered with the U.S. National Arboretum and will be published in an article by T.R. Dudley.
SPECIOSA (H.G. Mattoon (Ed.), Plant Buyer’s Guide, Ed. 6, 1958, p. 104) — without description; ascribed to J. Blaauw & Co., Lincroft, New Jersey.
STEELE’s (de Wilde’s Rhodo-Lake Nurs., Bridgeton, New Jersey, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1960-Spring 1961, p. 11) — as C. kousa chinensis (Steele’s), with dark green foliage and large creamy-white flowers.
SUMMER STARS (Princeton Nurs., Princeton, New Jersey, Wholesale Price List, Fall, 1975, p. 21) — heavy blooming variety retaining flowers late into summer. Registered with the Arnold Arboretum (R.S. Hebb), AABGA Bull. 7: 47-54, 1973). Plant originated as seedling grown by P.E. Costich, Center Moriches, Long Island, New York. Plant Patent No. 3090, March 28, 1972.
TRIPLE CROWN — Name applied to plant patented by Mary B. Wakefield, Milton, Massachusetts. Plant Patent No. 3387, August 21, 1973. Plant with small and dainty growth habit; heavy flowering with blooms mostly in triple clusters; plant hardy to −20°F. Name validated here for the first time. Plant currently not in commerce.
TWINKLE — Name applied to plant patented by Mary B. Wakefield, Milton, Massachusetts. Plant Patent No. 3386, August 21, 1973. Plant with upright, compact growth habit; flowers with 6 to 9 bracts; wine-red autumn leaf color. Name validated here for the first time. Plant currently not in commerce.
VARIEGATA (D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960) — with foliage variegated. According to R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961, this plant was grown at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts from cuttings obtained from a cultivated plant in Westwood, Massachusetts in 1948. The name, however, is invalid because in Latin form after January 1, 1959.
VIRIDIS (D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960) — without description. According to R.A. Howard, Arnoldia 21: 9-18, 1961, this plant was growing at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and was not worthy of recognition. Name invalid because of lack of published description.
WILTON (Dilatush Nurs., Robbinsville, New Jersey, Additions to the Handbook, 1978, p. 2) — as ‘Wiltoni.’ We have changed the name to conform to the Code (1), since names in latin form are not permitted after January 1, 1959. Plant “holds flowers longer than normal.”
WINTERTHUR — Name found in records of the Plant Sciences Data Center of the American Horticultural Society. Selected, propagated, and planted at Winterthur Gardens, Winterthur, Delaware, but never described or commercially available.
XANTHOCARPA (Old Farm Nurs., Boskoop, Holland, Cat. 1964-1965, American Ed., p. 16 and perhaps earlier catalogs) — new, yellow fruiting dogwood. This was also listed in 1960 by G. Krussman, Handbuch der Laubge-holze, I, p. 345, as a cultivar originating in The Netherlands. We consider the name valid, even though in Latin form, since there are probably published references, which we have not found, before January 1, 1959.
Cornus nuttallii
BOYD’S HARDY (Boyd Nurs. Co., McMinnville, Tennessee, Wholesale Trade List, Winter 1973-Spring 1974, p. 13) — propagated from the sole survivor of a batch of seedlings grown in Tennessee that withstood −19°F in 1964.
COLRIGO GIANT (Saxton & Wilson, Maplewood, Oregon, 1 -page listing of “Large Sizes and Specimens — Retail,” Fall 1963-Spring 1964) — “huge blooms up to 8 inches with overlapping cup shaped bracts; extra large, heavy textured green leaves; wonderful fall color.” Found in wild by Warren Wilson in the Columbia River Gorge; cultivar name formed by combining the initial letters of the Gorge’s name. Also known under various misspellings as ‘Corrego,’ ‘Corrigo,’ and ‘Corigo.’
EDDIEI (D. Wyman, Amer. Nurseryman, 111(9): 10-11, 105-111, 1960) — with leaves variegated green and gold. Discovered growing wild about 1918 by H.M. Eddie; granted a certificate of registration dated June, 1925 from the Canadian Horticultural Council. Listed in H.M. Eddie & Sons Ltd., Pacific Coast Nurs., Sardis, British Columbia, Canada, Cat. 1936-37, p. 21, and perhaps earlier catalogs.
EDDIE’S WHITE WONDER (Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio, Cat. 1964, p. 138-139, illus.) — new hybrid dogwood, Cornus nuttallii × florida; controlled cross made by Mr. Eddie, a West Coast Nurseryman. Plant Patent No. 2413, June 23, 1964. Parentage given as C. nuttallii × C. florida rubra. Combines larger flowers of C. nuttallii with excellent autumn leaf color of C. florida; with branches becoming pendent with age.
GOLDSPOT (Doty & Doerner Nurs., Portland, Oregon, Wholesale Price List, Fall 1966-Spring 1967, p. 7) — “the native Pacific Dogwood with striking leaves heavily splotched with gold.” May = EDDIEI.
NORTH STAR (Hilliers’ Manual of Trees & Shrubs, 1972, p. 81) — with strong, vigorous growth, dark purple young shoots, and larger flowers.
PILGRIM (Saratoga Horticultural Foundation, Saratoga, California, Price List, January 1, 1962, p. 1) — without description. The southernmost specimen tested by the Foundation; found wild along highway Rte. 17, near Santa Cruz County (California) border; blooms up to 4 inches across. Validated here for the first time.
WINKENWERDERI (L. Metzger, Arb. Bull. (Univ. Wash.) Fall, 1946, p. 30-33) — as ‘Winkenwerderii, without description.
- © 1985, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.
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