Fruiting of Stellar Pink Dogwood

I have two hybrid dogwoods obtained more than 25 years ago while I worked in a local nursery. These varieties are Stellar Pink and Galaxy (Constellation?) purchased as saplings about 5-6’. Both have flowered consistently for the last 20 years. I also have a standard Cornus kousa nearby which flowers and fruits heavily each year. This is the first time ever that the Stellar Pink produced fruit (photos), but the fruits are limited to a single low branch. I have examined the tree from to bottom, no other fruits obvious. The Galaxy remains fruitless. I would appreciate members comments on their experiences with possible fruiting on any of the Rutgers hybrids

Interesting. I have 4-5 Rutgers hybrids about the same age. I've never noticed fruit but I can't say I pay that much attention. I went out just now to check and didn't find any. But both my kousa's and florida's have either dropped their fruit or eaten by birds already, so I may have checked too late. Will be interested in any others' input.

This message was edited Nov 12, 2017 3:49 PM

In googling ‘Stellar Pink Dogwood’ and examining the photo album of images there I did find a single photo of another example of fruiting. The photo of a single is from a blog (daverm.wordpress.com) dated October, 2016, but no location cited. The author states that he had rarely seen this cultivar fruit. Perhaps there is correlation with our local weather, or the tempting possibility of back-cross pollination with my nearby
C. kousa. Nonetheless, finding multiple fruits on a single branch is curious.

I corresponded by e-mail with Dr. Thomas Molnar of the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers University regarding this issue. He responded that the staff there have observed fruiting in Stellar Pink “occasionally” in the trees at their nursery over the years, noting that the fruits are sterile (no seeds). Dr. Molnar forwarded my e-mail to Dr. Elwin Orton (Emeritus) for his comments as well. Dr. Orton was originally involved in developing these hybrid dogwoods to develop anthracnose-resistant strains, a disease affecting native Cornus florida. I am waiting for his response to my inquiry also to add to this thread to add to the knowledge base of this website.

Very interesting.

I don't have any knowledge to add to this thread. The oldest trees of the Rutgers hybrids I have had a hand in growing date back to 1993 at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, which I don't get to visit enough to know about potential fruit. Kousa and Flowering Dogwood would be present.

The next oldest I had planted dated to 2000 at Heaven Trees Farm, which were slaughtered by -20F to -30F temperatures in February 2015. All ten trees were killed outright.

Other than that, I must say: Gee, it's good to see thee, Wee....