Description
Kousa Dogwood is native to far eastern Asia.
Scientific Name: Cornus kousa
Zone: 4-8
Mature Height: 20-30 ft
Mature Width: 6-10 ft
Growth Rate: 12-24″
Soil: Prefers rich, constantly wet soils. Can tolerate dryer sites and even heavy clay.
Sun Requirements: Full to Partial Sun
Fall Color: Orange or Red, fading to Purple
Wildlife Value: Larval host for butterflies. Also, supports birds, bees and provides nesting areas.
Kousa Dogwood shrub or Cornus kousa can grow from 20-30′. and is hardy from zone 4-8 and can be successfully grown in the south. Kousa Dogwood has the typical dogwood leaf dark green in summer to reddish-purple in the fall. The bark on a Kousa is exfoliating and dark brown. Medium rate of growth. The shrub flowers bloom in June in Michigan and are a few weeks later than the flowering Dogwood. The berries are edible but like most of the flowering tree berries they are bitter and mealy. There are many cultivars of this variety of Dogwood. Eternal Scarlett, Satomi is reported to have tasty berries, Julien, mandarin Jewel, Wolfs eye and Milky way are just a few of the cultivars.
