Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis)

🌳 General description

Cornus kousa var. chinensis, or Chinese dogwood, is an Asian variety of Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa), native to China, Korea, and Japan. It is highly prized for its elegant form, spectacular flowers, and year-round ornamental interest.

📏 Size and habit

• Height: 4 to 7 m (sometimes up to 8 m)
• Width: 3 to 5 m
• Habit: spreading dome, often with horizontal, overlapping branches
• Growth: fairly slow

🌸 Flowering

• Period: late May to June (after the leaves, making it very visible)
• Flowers: actually white to cream-colored bracts (sometimes pinkish), surrounding small greenish flowers
• Appearance: spectacular, almost like stars or daisies resting on the branches

🍓 Fruit

• At the end of summer, the Chinese dogwood produces spherical red fruits resembling small strawberries.
• Edible (sweet and tart), but not always very popular raw; they can be used to make jam.

🍁 Foliage

• Dark green in summer
• Magnificent fall colors: red, purple, orange

☀️🌱 Growing conditions

• Soil: cool, rich, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral
• Exposure: mild sun or partial shade
• Hardiness: very hardy (down to -20°C)
• Care: easy, no pruning necessary except to balance the shape
  

💡 Planting tips

• Plant in spring or fall
• Allow space: it spreads over time
• Mulch the base to keep the soil cool

✅ Advantages

• Unique flowering
• Good disease resistance
• Beautiful in all seasons
• Ideal as a solitary plant in a garden

❌ Things to watch out for

• Does not like chalky soil or overly dry conditions
• Fruit can sometimes be messy if it falls on a patio