Hyperion® Rutgers Dogwood

The Hyperion® Hybrid Dogwood is a dynamic new ornamental tree that will delight you with a year-long procession of colorful flowers, fruit, and foliage. In late spring, the white blossoms will smother the branches in a floral avalanche. In late summer, the funny nubbly red fruits will steal the show. And when the days turn crisp and cool, this dazzling tree will grace your garden with orange, yellow, and purple fall foliage. Plant Hyperion® Dogwood near your porch, patio, or wherever you entertain, and it will be a topic of conversation at your next get-together, no matter what time of year!

Hyperion® arose from the legendary Dr. Elwin Orton’s Dogwood breeding program at Rutgers University. After a devastating Dogwood anthracnose disease began attacking Flowering Dogwoods in the 1970s and ’80s, Dr. Orton had the brilliant idea to cross our native tree with Asian Dogwoods. Bred in 1989, the recently released Hyperion® is composed of three-quarters Japanese Kousa Dogwood and one-quarter American Flowering Dogwood. It has the same great resistance to anthracnose of the Kousas, and it’s also very resistant to powdery mildew. This fast-growing tree is the most vigorous of the Rutgers hybrids, too.

Of the Kousa-Flowering Dogwood crosses released by the Rutgers program so far, none have a consistent display of showy fruit… except for Hyperion®. Hyperion’s red, cherry-sized fruits will get some quizzical looks from your guests! They’re globe-shaped like Kousa fruits but covered with bumps (the fruits, not your guests). The Kousa blood in this tree also means that in time, you’ll get to see that wonderful exfoliating patchwork bark that Kousas are famous for.