Cornus kousa or Japanes, Chinese or Korean Dogwood

Oval, pointed leaves (to 4” long) are dark green, but usually turns attractive shades of reddish-purple to scarlet in autumn. Cornus is also the Latin name for cornelian cherry (Cornus mas). Mature form features attractive horizontal branching. Flower bracts vary in color intensity from light pink to deep pink to rose pink depending on a number of factors including landscape placement, cultural conditions and geography. Deep green foliage turns attractive shades of red in autumn. Red fruits in autumn are attractive but not very tasty.

How to Germinate Stratified Kousa Dogwood Seeds

Excellent resistance to anthracnose. Stressed trees may become vulnerable to borers. In full sun locations, leaf scorch may appear, particularly if plants are sited in full sun in hot, windy or droughty conditions. In full sun locations, leaf scorch may appear, particularly if soils are allowed to dry out.

How to Grow

The blooms appear in late spring, after the leaves have fully emerged. The flowers are followed by small, berry-like fruits that ripen in late summer or early fall. These fruits are red or pink in color and are a favorite food of birds and other wildlife.

• In general, the Chinese subspecies has a more freely growing habit and produces larger flowers than the other subspecies.
• Pruning is only needed to remove dead wood after flowering.
• Another recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, granted in 2012, ‘Wolf Eyes’ fits in the shaded, tight spaces of gardens where other trees won’t – and does it with style.
• Cultivar name suggests that the profuse bloom of flowers each year is suggestive of the billions of stars in the Milky Way.

When to Gather Kousa Dogwood Seeds

The fruits are also edible and have a sweet, creamy flavor. The Kousa dogwood is a handsome, small- to medium-sized tree reaching a mature height of 30 feet. Sometimes referred to as the Chinese dogwood, this species is an Asian cousin to our native flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) cornus kousa and is a member of the dogwood family (Cornaceae). The species epithet, kousa, is the Japanese name for this plant.

Other Plants in this Category

• The smooth and light brown young bark grays and peels with age, revealing mottled mosaics of tan, brown, and gray in the exfoliated patches.
• It is only likely to be confused in gardens with C.
• Be sure to select an appropriate planting site with adequate sun exposure and soil drainage to avoid issues with rot, and to promote flowering.
• Wide, elliptic to slightly obovate, acute to acuminate, finely appressed-downy beneath and with small brownish tufts in the axils; veins arching, mostly four on each side of the midrib.
• Flower bracts vary in color intensity from light pink to deep pink to rose pink depending on a number of factors including landscape placement, cultural conditions and geography.
• The example in the Hillier Arboretum, also under the name ‘Norman Hadden’, was propagated from material received directly from the raiser in 1966.

A kousa dogwood needs to be planted in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8 for optimal growth and aesthetics. Cornus kousa is a dogwood that is native to Asia. It’s becoming more and more popular here in the U. Due to its resistance to diseases like anthracnose which is brutal to our native dogwoods.

The tree receiving only three hours of afternoon sun, with shade/dappled sun the rest of the time, is an interesting scenario. As a tree enthusiast, it pains me to say this… but not every tree should be planted. Like a Bradford pear tree, for instance. Kousa doesn’t require the concern over infestation and infection that, say, a C. Another chinensis cultivar, ‘Milky Way’ has prolific and bright blooms, just like the stars in our galaxy. Alongside the standard species, some awesome cultivars are available today.

Key Things to Know About Growing Kousa Dogwoods from Seed

Kousa from seed, by taking stem cuttings, or via transplanting. The habit starts off vase-shaped and becomes more rounded with age, with prominently layered branching. May suffer from cornus anthracnose, although it is less susceptible than other Cornus species, and honey fungus.

That should eliminate as much wait time as possible. But I’m confident in saying that the kousa dogwood is definitely worthy of a spot in your landscape if you live in a suitable Hardiness Zone. Its beauty and resilience are enough to earn it a place in your garden. As a foundation planting, this tree’s horizontal branching pairs quite nicely with the vertical lines formed by the corners and edges of buildings, making the man-made structures somehow appear larger.

With its unparalleled flowering, ‘Milky Way’ is not a variety to ignore. In late August to October, the flowers give way to attractive pinkish-red to red drupes, which resemble raspberries somewhat in both size and form. It is very clear that the drupes of native and Asian dogwood are very different from each other. The Cornus kousa dogwood is about 3/4 of an inch across, while the C florida dogwood drupes are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. (You can see a picture of the cleaned C. florida seeds here) Our native dogwood has drupes that are elongated where the Kousa is spherical.

Plant as a specimen or in small groupings on residential property around homes, near patios or in lawns. Also effective in shrub borders, woodland gardens, bird gardens or naturalized areas.Pink flowers, red fall fruit and purplish-red fall foliage color make this cultivar stunning. A stunning small flowering tree or large shrub with excellent flowers, showy fruit, interesing summer foliage color, good fall color and some winter interest. Also effective in shrub borders, woodland gardens or bird gardens. No serious insect or disease problems. Kousa dogwoods generally have better disease resistance than flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida).