Description

A small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. Young trees have an upright, vase-shape habit, becoming more widely rounded with age. White flower “petals” are actually bracts which surround the center cluster of insignificant, yellowish-green, true flowers. Flowers are followed by berry-like fruits which age to a pinkish red in summer and persist into fall. Dark green leaves turn reddish-purple to scarlet in autumn. Mottled, exfoliating, tan and gray bark on mature trees is attractive in winter. Attracts birds. ‘Blue Shadow’ has large, robust blue-green leaves that turn beautiful shades of red in autumn. A mass of large creamy white bracts turn pale pink as they age. C. kousa has better disease resistance and better cold hardiness than flowering dogwood, C. florida, as well as flowering a month later than the native tree. Leaf scorch may occur in full sun. Grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12″ to 24″ per year. Height: 20 ft. Spread: 16 ft. Family: Cornaceae Bloom time: June Sun: full sun to part shade Water: medium According to Rutgers University, Cornus kousa. are “seldom severely damaged” by deer. photo credit: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova