Kousa dogwood is a deciduous flowering tree that transforms spring gardens with elegant white blooms and provides interest year-round. Hardy in zones 5 to 8, it typically grows 15 to 30 feet tall, starting with a vase-shaped form before rounding out as it matures. The showy flowers that arrive in late spring aren't actually petals but four narrowly pointed white bracts surrounding insignificant yellowish-green true flowers, creating a distinctive 3 to 5 inch display. Unlike its American cousin flowering dogwood, kousa dogwood resists anthracnose and thrives where that species struggles, while also bearing edible, ornamental berry-like fruit that birds and butterflies adore.
Partial Sun
Moderate
5-8
360in H x 360in W
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Moderate
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Late spring brings an exceptional floral display with four-pointed white bracts that catch the light beautifully, followed by the bonus of edible berry-like fruits that ripen to a rosy hue. Kousa dogwood shrugs off deer browsing and handles tough growing conditions far better than its American flowering dogwood relative, including stronger resistance to anthracnose disease. Low maintenance and naturally sculptural, it serves equally well as a specimen flowering tree or street tree, with excellent cold hardiness and disease resistance setting it apart from other ornamental dogwoods.
Kousa dogwood functions as a high-impact flowering tree for spring gardens and as a durable street tree selection. Its showy white bracts and subsequent edible fruits make it valuable for ornamental landscapes where extended seasonal interest and wildlife habitat matter.
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