Cornus florida Cultivars H-M

'Hillenmeyer'

A good white-bracted, early- and heavily-flowering cultivar, first documented in the 1959–60 catalogue of Tennessee Valley Nursery, Winchester, though that was probably not its ultimate origin (the Hillenmeyer Nursery was in Lexington, Kentucky); ‘Hillenmeyer’ is the pollen parent of Cornus × rutgersensis ‘Rutlan’ Ruth Ellen (US PP07732 P; Santamour & McArdle 1985; Cappiesllo & Shadow 2005).

'Imperial White'

A spreading, large-leaved selection with unusually large, solid white bracts, the diameter of the involucre approx. 11.5–14(–15) cm. From a volunteer seedling of unconfirmed parentage discovered in a cultivated boxwood bed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1975. The plant was presumed to be a straight C. florida seedling from nearby wild trees, but importation from elsewhere with the box plants could not be excluded. Less spreading and more upright than ‘Cloud 9’ (PP 04242 P).

'Jean's Appalachian Snow'

Discovered at Decherd, Tennessee in 1994 and introduced by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station. Selected for high powdery-mildew resistance and the very large, pure-white bracts. The patent application notes that ‘even the indented cleft at the tip of the bract lacks pigmentation’ (US PP13099 P2). Colours well in autumn.

'Juanita'

Thick, extremely white bracts, reasonably mildew-resistant; discovered by Paul Cappiello in a private garden in Louisville, Kentucky (Cappiello & Shadow 2005).

'Junior Miss Variegated'

Branch-sport of pink-bracted ‘Welch’s Junior Miss’, the green-centred leaves variegated in cream, white and yellow. Similar to ‘Welchii’, but more vigorous (Houtman 2004). The variegation is reported to be unstable (Cappiello & Shadow 2005).

'Karen's Appalachian Blush'

Long, ‘floppy’, white bracts, flushed pale-pink at the margins; developed by the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station (Witte et al. 2000).

'Kay's Appalachian Mist'

Introduced by the University of Tennessee Research Corporation, patented in 2002. Selected for powdery-mildew resistance. Bracts creamy-white, slightly overlapping (Google Patents 2002).

Cornus florida 'Kay's Appalachian Mist' in autumn (Tyler Arboretum, Pennsylvania; USA, 29 October 2025). Image John Grimshaw.

'Lanham's Little Broom'

A diminutive variety (0.9 × 0.6 m in 5 years) with densely arranged, small leaves; discovered and introduced by Gary Lanham, Lebanon, Kentucky (Cappiello & Shadow 2005).

'Moonglow'

Upright, with golden foliage and white bracts (K. Junker, quoted in Cappiello & Shadow 2005); possibly of Italian origin, but almost no reliable information is available.

'Mystery'

A rarely seen, compact (‘dwarfish’) selection with dark green glossy foliage, white bracts occasionally blushing pink or red, and purplish-red autumn foliage; allegedly drought-tolerant. Originated as a chance seedling in the nursery of Jim Carson, Winchester, Tennessee. Patent filed 1964 (PP 02622 P; Witte et al. 2000; Santamour & McArdle 1985; Cappiello & Shadow 2005).