Plant of the Month

Plant of the Month: May 2025

Eddie's White Wonder Dogwood

Cornus Nuttallii X Cornus florida

CORNACEÆ; Dogwood Family

My subject this month was chosen because it is one of 50 trees included in a brand new self-guided Montlake Tree Tour. It also is in my book Trees of Seattle, 2nd edition 2005.

This hybrid originated in 1945 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was first sold about 1955. It is named after nurseryman Henry M. Eddie (1881 - 1943). Compared to Seattle's native Pacific Dogwood, the hybrid is smaller, denser, somewhat weeping --a dumpling of a Dogwood. Importantly, it is far more disease resistant. Its 4 (5, 6) white petal-like bracts surround an especially tiny center button. It is infertile and almost never has a second bloom in autumn. Its fall color is usually a heartwarming bright red. In sum, it is a superb small ornamental tree, and warrants more planting.

The tree was patented in 1964 (PP 2413). It was the first such hybrid; younger clones also exist, such as Ascona, Cream Cup, Ormonde and Pink Blush. There are also hybrids (such as Venus) of Cornus Nuttallii with the east Asian Cornus Kousa. The motivating factor behind breeding these hybrids is disease resistance, as most Cornus Nuttallii and Cornus florida get horribly unsightly and messy leaf diseases. Even though both parents of Eddie's White Wonder are disease-prone, it shows impressive resistance.

Eddie's White Wonder varies in how it appears: it can be relatively tall and slender, or shorter and wider. But in any case, it is a bit floppy and reminds me of the Pillsbury Doughboy. It is propagated most often by being grafted onto roots of Cornus florida. I suspect there may be a delayed graft incompatibility, because I cannot find very old specimens; they seem to die before they achieve senior citizen status. The arboretum's oldest specimens date from 1970.

If you know of any Seattle specimens that are remarkably old and large, I will appreciate being informed about them. The Montlake Tree Tour example, at 2220 22nd Ave E, was 38 feet tall in April, and is already taller in May. The six photos below show it and various other Seattle trees growing through the years 1987 through 2024.

The Montlake Community Club has printed some of the tree tours. To learn about the June 1st Montlake Garden & Art tour, go to (https://montlake.net). Regarding the Montlake Tree Tour, to download it in PDF format, click here.

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