Chinese Dogwood
Cornus kousa
Cornus kousa
Foliage: Bluish-green
Fall Foliage: Red Fruit: Red Habit/Form: Rounded* Uses: Accent, Shade, Mass Planting, Shrub Border |
Zone Hardiness: 4
Plant Height: 25 ft Plant Width: 25 ft Light: Sun/Part Shade Growth Rate: Medium |
Cornus Kousa is a small deciduous flowering tree or multi-stemmed shrub with four seasons of interest. Bluish-green leaves appear in early spring, but the real show is in late spring, when clusters of star-like blooms appear. Pointed, 4-petaled white bracts adorn the horizontally-tiered branches. The stunning flowers will remain in bloom for weeks, much longer than other Dogwoods. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries from early to late fall. The leaves turn a vibrant red color that can't be missed. In the winter, the bark on older trees exfoliates to reveal a beautifully patterned texture.
*Multi-stemmed Kousa Dogwoods are vase-shaped
urround the center cluster of tiny yellowish-green flowers.
Stunning in all four seasons! If you love flowering dogwoods, you'll adore the late-blooming Kousa Dogwood. It's a wonderfully showy tree that blooms weeks later than other dogwoods. The blooms range from pure white to delicate light pink and they last and last!
Kousa slowly grows into a lovely, small deciduous tree. It is sometimes called the Japanese, Korean, or Chinese Dogwood. And like other trees that are native to Japan, they showcase an extremely graceful form. Kousa Dogwood has a horizontal branching structure that reaches all the way to the base, forming a natural pyramidal shape!
Dark green leaves will appear in early spring, but the real show starts in late spring. Pointed, 4-petaled white bracts surround the small flower clusters. These specialized leaf bracts are quite rugged and can withstand strong winds and rain. Kousa Dogwoods are very showy for a long period of time as the flower bracts are showy longer than most flowers. They'll give you up to a month of display!
The flowers precede the red fruit, which looks like a raspberry. Some people make jellies, jams, and wine from the rounded, red berries. Or, leave the red-colored fruit for songbirds! They'll be happy to snap them up for you without any muss or fuss.
As fall approaches, Kousa Dogwood has another trick up its sleeve. The leaves transform into a vibrant reddish-purple splash of fall color for your landscape. Then, in winter, the bark on older trees exfoliates to reveal a beautifully patterned texture. This is a great feature in the coldest months. Use exterior landscape lighting to point a spotlight or two up into the canopy. You'll enjoy this tree year-round.
Kousa dogwood is an excellent small specimen tree. Two outstanding characteristics are the four-petaled, white flowers that appear above the foliage in June and reddish-purple fall color. In the Midwest, this is a hardier substitute for the acid-loving flowering dogwood. The shallow root system will benefit with a layer of mulch to maintain a cool root environment.
*Multi-stemmed Kousa Dogwoods are vase-shaped
urround the center cluster of tiny yellowish-green flowers.
Stunning in all four seasons! If you love flowering dogwoods, you'll adore the late-blooming Kousa Dogwood. It's a wonderfully showy tree that blooms weeks later than other dogwoods. The blooms range from pure white to delicate light pink and they last and last!
Kousa slowly grows into a lovely, small deciduous tree. It is sometimes called the Japanese, Korean, or Chinese Dogwood. And like other trees that are native to Japan, they showcase an extremely graceful form. Kousa Dogwood has a horizontal branching structure that reaches all the way to the base, forming a natural pyramidal shape!
Dark green leaves will appear in early spring, but the real show starts in late spring. Pointed, 4-petaled white bracts surround the small flower clusters. These specialized leaf bracts are quite rugged and can withstand strong winds and rain. Kousa Dogwoods are very showy for a long period of time as the flower bracts are showy longer than most flowers. They'll give you up to a month of display!
The flowers precede the red fruit, which looks like a raspberry. Some people make jellies, jams, and wine from the rounded, red berries. Or, leave the red-colored fruit for songbirds! They'll be happy to snap them up for you without any muss or fuss.
As fall approaches, Kousa Dogwood has another trick up its sleeve. The leaves transform into a vibrant reddish-purple splash of fall color for your landscape. Then, in winter, the bark on older trees exfoliates to reveal a beautifully patterned texture. This is a great feature in the coldest months. Use exterior landscape lighting to point a spotlight or two up into the canopy. You'll enjoy this tree year-round.
- Large, white flowers appear in late spring and can last into early summer
- In fall, large, edible red fruits, similar in appearance to strawberries, appear
- As the tree matures, the bark begins to exfoliate, providing a patchwork of colors
- The dark green leaves transform into a great purple to red fall color
- Use as a specimen tree or plant a grove of Dogwoods for an incredible show
Kousa dogwood is an excellent small specimen tree. Two outstanding characteristics are the four-petaled, white flowers that appear above the foliage in June and reddish-purple fall color. In the Midwest, this is a hardier substitute for the acid-loving flowering dogwood. The shallow root system will benefit with a layer of mulch to maintain a cool root environment.