Chinese Dogwood
Cornus kousa var. chinensis
Cornaceae
Neighborhood Tree
Power Lines
4-5.5' with power lines, 6-8' with power lines
Native of China, Korea, and Japan
Grows best in light shade. Does not tolerate heat and drought. Needs a lot of water.
Ornamentally appealing for its bark, flower and fall color
Small deciduous tree, rounded to vase shaped with strongly tiered branching
Leaves are oval with smooth edges, shiny dark green above and paler below, turning purple in fall.
Fruit is an edible berry with bumpy skin that is light red to pink outside and yellow inside, with a stony pit. Fruit is good for wildlife.
Star-shaped, showy white to greenish-white bracts (leaves that flowers grow from) surround a small, inconspicuous flower.
Initially smooth and light brown, but later exfoliating into small patches forming a tan and brown camouflage pattern
Widely vase-shaped to rounded, with layered branches
50 years
30'
20'