This invention relates to dogwood trees and particularly to the selection of a mutation of an F1 hybrid, after the interspecific hybridization of an unnamed plant of Cornus kousa×a plant of Cornus florida ‘Sweetwater’. The mutation is a sport of a patented plant (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,207) sold under the registered trademark STELLAR PINK®.
The particular seedlings hereof were selected from certain progeny grown in a cultivated area in Huntland, Tenn. and, as a result, have in turn been asexually reproduced by grafting. The reproduction and actual growth and selection of the new cultivar took place in the vicinity of Huntland, Tenn., has been shown to propagate true-to-type in subsequent generations of asexual reproduction and has been found to be distinctive as to its variegated foliage.
Plants of this hybrid are vigorous and upright in habit, comparable to its hybrid progenitor, and are floriferous. The broad, rounded, overlapping bracts provide a floral display from about late March through mid April in Hardiness Zones 6-7. The resistance of the plant to diseases and insects is comparable to that of the hybrid covered by U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,207.
The plant is capable of being grown wherever plants of C. kousa and C. florida are grown although they have not been tested in any widespread areas by me or under my direction.
This mutation has been asexually reproduced by bud grafting so as to determine that it does in fact come true in successive generations. In my estimation, it has desirable commercial attractiveness due to the variegation of the leaves both during the growing season and in the fall.
In the following detailed description which includes some comments in respect to various aspects of the plant, there is provided in addition, drawings which disclose the foliage in color and the colors are referred to The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticulture Society (1995) for individual notations and comments.