Kousa Dogwood

If you love Flowering Dogwoods, you'll adore the late-blooming Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa). It's a wonderfully showy small 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.

This tree would look stunning planted in small groupings along a mixed border. It creates a marvelous focal point in a back yard, or as an anchor for a foundation planting.

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 round red berries.

Or, leave the red colored fruit for birds! They'll be happy to snap them up for you without any fuss or muss.

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.

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.

This particular Dogwood has a better disease tolerance than many other flowering Dogwoods and is generally hardy and easy to care for.

Deer won't like this tree, but birds certainly will... and so will you! Order today.

How to Use Kousa Dogwood in the Landscape

There are two ways you can grow Kousa in your yard. Either way, you'll enjoy this beautiful tree.

The first is to remove lower branches and expose the trunk. You'll create an excellent small accent tree. The second is to leave the lower branches on, and enjoy this as a wonderful tall, shrubby screen.

Use Kousa as a single specimen plant, or as part of an informal grouping in larger yards. They look magnificent when paired with other Flowering Dogwoods in a berm planting. The Kousa extends the season of bloom through early summer.

Try them along the back of a mixed border. They'll work hard to give you much-welcomed showy structure to smaller shrubs and perennials placed in front of them.

Kousa is an excellent smaller tree for use near a patio or courtyard area. Rest assured, there will be interest generated in all seasons.

When grown as large shrubs they make big beautiful screening plants too. On large properties, you could space them 10-15 feet apart (measuring from trunk to trunk) as a large privacy screen. Mix with other trees, including evergreens to create a healthy, diverse environment.

#ProPlantTips for Care

They will really flourish in evenly moist, slightly acidic soil. Kousa also needs well-drained soil, so if your soil holds water for a long time, "mound up". To do that, simply add an additional 18 - 24 inches of soil above your soil line. Plant directly into the mound.

They'll handle full sun and partial sun equally well but be sure to keep them well watered. They do not like to get dried out. Place mulch in a 3 inch layer around the plant to cover the root system.

For any pruning, we advise that you wait for the flowers to finish.

Showy bracts in late spring, food for the birds, super red and purple fall color, and phenomenal bark on older stems as the plants age - no wonder they are so popular! Order today, you'll love this showy tree.