A few years ago, Dr. Elwin Orton, renowned plant breeder at Rutgers University here in New Jersey, gave us a phone call. He wanted to tell us about his latest creation, Cornus 'Venus' which had the largest flowers he had ever seen on a Dogwood—as much as 8 inches across: dinner-plate flowers indeed! These white flowers are borne prolifically all over the tree, with the largest ones appearing on the outside in full sun and smaller ones in the interior. After 20 years 'Venus' has reached 16 feet tall with greater spread, and the heavily textured leaves are a glossy dark green and have shown complete resistance to all common Dogwood pests. Little wonder that the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recently awarded 'Venus' their Gold Medal Plant Award. Reserve a prime spot in your garden for C. 'Venus', one of the best Dogwoods available today! Z. 6-9

A weeping Dogwood with dark green leaves that are rimmed in creamy white, this petite introduction grows just 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide in 10 years. Plant it in dappled light in well-drained soil; stake it to obtain desired height. PP 13384. Z. 5-8

A superb weeping Dogwood whose white flowers are borne along the branches in full view. It can be staked to gain height before weeping, or it can be allowed to scramble over rocks or down a bank, growing just 2-3 feet high. A most unusual Dogwood! Z. 5-8

Sometimes marketed as 'Rosabella', 'Satomi' displays rich, deep pink bracts shading subtly to creamy white toward the center. The lustrous green leaves, somewhat more rounded than usual, become rich purple red in fall. A stunning Dogwood that merits a place of honor in the garden! Z. 5-8
Specimen Plants.

A handsome selection with narrower-than-usual leaves, intricately edged in white, and less susceptible to leaf scorch in sun than other variegated Dogwoods. Flowering occurs in May, and 'Wolf Eyes' has a compact growth habit, making an ideal choice for a patio shrub. Best planted in dappled light or light shade, where after 8 years it may grow to 7 feet high and 5 feet wide. Z. 5-8

The white-margined leaves of this small Dogwood are bright and showy and the color appears to hold well even in summer. In March small yellow flowers smother this plant over several weeks, until the weather turns warm. With age the bark exfoliates and becomes mottled, adding winter interest to the mix. Grows best in dappled light or light shade Z. 5-7

Similar to the better known C. mas, C. officinalis blooms about a week earlier—as early as mid-March—with bright yellow flowers on bare branches. It also sports bicolored flaking bark in shades of brown and orange. 'Kintoki' boasts exceptionally heavy flowering and grows to perhaps 10-15 high, but growth is slow. Extremely rare in commerce. Z. 5-8

The Rutgers Hybrid Dogwoods have been celebrated for their vigor, sturdiness, and pest resistance. As hybrids of Eastern and Kousa Dogwood, they bloom with white flowers in late April and early May, intermediate between the two parent species. Tennessee plantsman Don Shadow has discovered a variegated sport of C. x rutgersensis Celestial (originally introduced as Galaxy), and it is truly handsome. Deep green leaves each carry an irregular yellow margin, and this rich coloration holds all through summer heat and humidity, even in full sun. The original (non-variegated) plant reached 17 feet tall after 19 years, and as 'Celestial Shadow' is also a vigorous grower, it may reach a similar size, albeit a bit more slowly. We've been dazzled by the exuberance of this introduction. Z. 6-8