Cornus Little Ruby™ 'NCCH1'

Little Ruby is a dwarf, hybrid cultivar in the dogwood family (Cornaceae) that was developed as a collaborative project by NC State University and the NC Nursery & Landscape Association with support from the Kenan Institute and the NC Biotechnology Center. Its parentage is kousa dogwood, Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’, and the evergreen C. hongkongensis ‘Summer Passion’.

This tree can be grown as a multi-trunk shrub or trained as a tree and reaches 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide. It prefers average, well-drained garden soil in full sun to partial shade. It is more cold-hardy than most dogwoods, is disease-resistant and easy to grow.

A truly unique new dogwood with a compact form and semi-evergreen foliage that sports a red flush on young leaves, followed by a dark maroon fall color that lasts until the temperature drops below 15°F. Little Ruby has pink flower bracts that range from single to semi-double in the late spring.

Use this small tree in the winter or cottage garden, as an understory tree, a specimen, a foundation plant or an accent. It is a great choice for small yards.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology,” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.