How do you recognise Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)?

Leaf

James St. John, Wikimedia · CC BY 2.0

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa F.Bürger ex Hance

Also known as: Japanese dogwood, Chinese dogwood

Family: Cornaceae

4 to 8 m tall

Planted as a specimen in ornamental gardens for its flowering and autumn colour

Flowering: May – June

Full sun

Part shade

Hardy to about -20°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

What looks like four large white petals is not the flower itself but bracts; the true flowers, tiny, are grouped at the centre. Flowering dogwood has white bracts notched (as if pinched) at the tip and flowers early in spring before the leaves appear, whereas kousa dogwood has pointed bracts and flowers later, once the leaves are already developed.

🍃 Leaves

Deciduous, ovate, bright green, turning purplish-red in autumn

🌸 Flowers

Tiny, surrounded by four large star-shaped white (sometimes pink) bracts, very conspicuous

🍎 Fruits

Large round pink-red fruits with a granular surface, edible, resembling strawberries

🪵 Bark

Brown-grey, flaking in plates with age on old specimens

🗺️ Distribution

Native to Japan, Korea and China

🐝 Value for pollinators

Flowering not very rich in nectar but fruits appreciated by birds in autumn

✂️ Horticultural uses

Much prized in small gardens for its spectacular flowering, autumn foliage and decorative fruits

⚠️ Look-alike species

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida

Flowering dogwood has white bracts notched (as if pinched) at the tip and flowers early in spring before the leaves appear, whereas kousa dogwood has pointed bracts and flowers later, once the leaves are already developed.

🌿 Other Cornaceae to discover

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.