Dogwood, Kousa
Cornus kousa
Cornaceae - Dogwood

Description

Leaves: Opposite; simple; 2" to 4" long; 1" to 2" wide; deciduous; dark green above; paler and hairy beneath, especially where veins meet; turning red to purple; petiole short.

Twigs/buds: Twigs light brown with some purple and green, mostly hairless, slender. Flower buds large, have flattened and ball-like base, and hairy scales form a sharp point; vegetative buds brownish-black.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect; white to pink bracts similar to flowering dogwood, but on 2" long stalks with bracts more pointed and blooming several weeks later. Fruit a small drupe; pinkish-red to bright red; grouped in a raspberry-like, round bundle, 1/2" to 1" in diameter; can be very ornamental; edible.

Bark: Flakes off as it ages, leaving patches of brown, tan, and gray.

Wood: Information unavailable.

General: Native to China, Korea, and Japan. Doesn't like very high soil pH; more drought hardy than flowering dogwood. Intermediate shade tolerance.

Landscape Use: A small tree rarely planted in Utah, but with some promise. More cold-hardy than flowering dogwood. Doing fairly well at USU in Logan. Fruit at its best is very attractive. Zones 4-8.

Cultivars: 'Akatsuki', 'Aurora', 'Autumn Rose', 'Beni Fuji', 'Big Apple', 'Blue Shadow', 'Bonfire', 'Celestial', 'Champions Gold', 'Constellation', 'Eddie's White Wonder', 'Elizabeth Lustgarten', 'Everbloom', 'Galilean', 'Gold Star', 'Little Beauty', 'Lustgarten Weeping', 'Milky Way', 'Prophet', 'Samaritan', 'Satomi', 'Snowboy', 'Summer Stars', 'Temple Jewel', 'Wolf Eyes'.

Characteristics