Scarlet Fire Dogwood is a beautiful tree or shrub that will be enjoyed throughout the year. It is the heaviest flowering Kousa cultivar to date, with the darkest pink bracts. A pink dogwood, it was developed in 2016 at Rutgers University by Dr. Tom Molnar from the woody ornamentals breeding program. Cornus kousa SCARLET FIRE 'Rutpink' produces abundant, deep pink, star-shaped flowers that cover the entire tree in spring. The flowers may last for 6 to 8 weeks. The bracts will appear in June, are large, non-overlapping, pointed, and have a very distinct shape. After flowering, showy, classic, pinkish-red, strawberry-like drupes develop in summer and persist until fall. Scarlet Fire has dark green, opposite, ovate to elliptical leaves with wavy margins. The leaves are 3.5 inches (10 cm) long, 2. 4 inches (6 cm) wide, soft at the top, and hairy on the underside. Foliage turns scarlet to red in fall. Scarlet Fire Kousa Dogwood is hardy to USDA zone 5a. It prefers to grow in full sun to part shade, and in well-drained, moist soil. Mature Scarlet Fire Japanese Dogwoods can reach up to 25 feet tall and wide. It has a moderately vigorous, upright growth habit. It grows at a rate of 1 to 2 feet (30-60 cm) per year. It is resistant to dogwood anthracnose and powdery mildew. This pink flowering dogwood can be grown as a hedge, en masse, or as a specimen plant. The flowers will attract birds and butterflies to your garden.
