Little Ruby™ Dogwood Cornus 'NCCH1' PP26,542

C. florida is arguably one of the most beautiful of the native American flowering trees and Little RubyTM lives up to her ancestry.  It is a truly unique dogwood with a compact form and semi-evergreen foliage that sports a red flush on young leaves followed by a dark maroon fall color. If that wasn’t enough, it has pink flower bracts that range from single to double. Developed as a collaborative project by NC State University and Star Roses & Plants Nursery with support from the Kenan Institute and the NC Biotechnology Center.  It grows best in partial shade but can tolerate full sun and can be trained as a large shrub or small tree.  Hardy to zone 6, in the south it is almost an evergreen tree.  It has some moderate drought tolerance once established.

Flowering dogwood is the state tree of Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia. Flowering usually overlaps that of redbud trees, creating a beautiful spring display on the edge of forests. Dogwoods are an indicator of rich soil, as its fallen leaves decompose rapidly, improving the soil.

Seasons of Interest:

       Foliage: Fall  Fruit: Fall-Winter, Drupes 

Insects, Diseases and Other Problems: When stressed, is susceptible to a large number of disease problems, most serious is dogwood anthracnose. Other diseases include powdery mildew, leaf spot, canker, root rot and leaf & twig blight. It can also become vulnerable to borers. Leaf miner and scale are less serious potential insect pests.