STAFF MARCH 22, 2017
\nrutgers pink dogwood
\nPhotos: Alex Neubauer\/Hidden Hollow Nursery<\/p>\n

Long known for its outstanding research on dogwood species \u2014 and its exceptional dogwood introductions \u2014 Rutgers has developed a stunning new hardy, deep pink dogwood called Scarlet Fire. It achieves the brilliant color associated with the native Cornus florida species that has been plagued by blight in the hardier Cornus kousa, an Asian species that is resistant to most diseases but lacked some of the color that made the native species so attractive. Sold in limited quantities last spring, the Scarlet Fire dogwood will be widely available for the first time in 2017 through mail order from several nurseries across the country.<\/p>\n

Tom Molnar, a plant biologist who oversees the ornamental tree breeding program for the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, took over the project to develop a pink Asian dogwood tree about a decade ago from retired plant biologist Elwin Orton, who had been working on the breeding program for decades. Orton knew the landscape industry was searching for a tree to replace the native dogwood that was being ravaged by insects and disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe desire was to get something as tough as the Asian dogwood with that great pink color,\u201d Molnar said.<\/p>\n

He tested genetic combinations that built on the previous generations of work of Orton, crossing trees that produced light pink flowers and then grew out thousands of plants until he found the desired brightness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very lucky, he gave me all these parents to work with through his decades of work and one of the crosses we made gave us this really bright color,\u2019\u2019 Molnar said. \u201cWhen we first saw it flower we were all blown away. It was a breakthrough color.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scarlet Fire stands out in the landscape for its timing and shade of pink. The dogwood flowers toward the end of May and early in June, later in the season than most flowering trees. Molnar said he chose the name Scarlet to honor Rutgers 250th anniversary and Fire for the hue of the flower.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives this new splash of color we have never seen before on the landscape,\u2019\u2019 Molnar said. \u201cAt its peak it\u2019s close to a fuchsia color. What is most pleasing about it is that from a distance it reflects light and you see this really brilliant splash of pink.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Scarlet Fire has a similar range as the native dogwood, Molnar said. It can grow in zones 5 through 8, as far south as Florida, north to New Jersey into Connecticut and as far west as central Pennsylvania and Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a tougher plant that takes the heat and drought better and is resistant to different diseases,\u2019\u2019 Molnar said. \u201cIt\u2019s the first of its kind with such color and we are hoping it becomes very popular when everyone sees it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STAFF MARCH 22, 2017 rutgers pink dogwood Photos: Alex Neubauer\/Hidden Hollow Nursery Long known for its outstanding research on dogwood species \u2014 and its exceptional dogwood introductions \u2014 Rutgers has developed a stunning new hardy, deep pink dogwood called Scarlet Fire. It achieves the brilliant color associated with the native Cornus florida species that has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nursery"],"yoast_head":"\n