Cornus kousa Dogwood trees are well known for their delicate beauty in the landscape. Kousa dogwood not only meets the standard for attractiveness, it adds a hardiness that makes this species an excellent choice for home landscapes and urban areas. This small tree makes its visual contribution year-round. In spring, it produces a heavenly array of star-like blooms. In summer, its intriguing canopy of layered branches provides some shade as well as beauty. In autumn, it offers a spectacular display of bright red color. It also produces berry-like fruits that are an attractive oddity edible to both humans and wildlife (though much preferred by the latter).  Even in winter, this tree has an appeal all its own, not only in its stratified branch pattern, but in its bark that resembles a puzzle or camouflage. Kousa dogwood is a native of Japan, China, Vietnam, Laos, and other eastern Asia countries. When planted with its popular American cousin, flowering dogwood, it has the pleasant habit of blooming, about the time flowering dogwood ends, and it retains its blossoms much longer. It also has strong, spreading branches and can survive the stresses of urban life. On top of all else, kousa is proving to … Continue reading The Kousa Dogwood