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Cornus kousa or Kousa Dogwood is a deciduous
small tree or shrub with year round interest. It is difficult to overuse
this plant. The Kousa Dogwood is excellent as a specimen plant. It works
well in a foundation planting at the corner of the house; the horizontal
lines break up the vertical lines and make the home appear larger. This
plant also looks good near large buildings, blank walls, or in a shrub
border.
The Kousa Dogwood has a slow to medium growth rate. It has a vase shaped
habit in its youth, but forms a rounded appearance with age. The strong
horizontal lines are very evident as the tree gets older. Long lasting,
creamy white bracts surround the inconspicuous flowers and last up to
six weeks. The flowers appear mid-May to June, about 2-3 weeks after the
Cornus florida. The leaves are a dark green, almost a blue-green
in summer, then changing to a reddish purple or scarlet in fall. The
fruit, which is a pinkish red to red resembling a raspberry in
appearance, lasts from late August through October.
The Kousa Dogwood can grow 20-30 feet in height with an equal spread.
One cultivar to look for:
Cornus kousa var. chinensis 'Milky Way'
The Milky Way Dogwood has an even greater flower and fruit production.
The star shaped "flowers" appear after the foliage and give
almost a milky Way effect.
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