Scientific Name
Cornus kousa
Kousa dogwood, also sometimes called Chinese dogwood, equally fits the description of a small tree or a large shrub. Its form depends on the plant’s genetics and the way it’s shaped as it develops. In the case of this dogwood, it may still be at an indeterminate midpoint. The Kousa dogwood, native to China, Japan and Korea, will ordinarily grow to 20 feet tall or a bit more, with an equal spread, and will often exhibit a layered branching effect. The dark green leaves grow up to 4 inches long, which is a common feature of the dogwood family. The leaf veins spread out from the midrib but curve back inwards as though they all want to meet again at the tip of the leaf. The leaves of almost all dogwood species also occur opposite each other on the stem, a trait they share with the ash, maple and buckeye trees. In the fall, the leaves often turn attractive red and purple shades. The bark when it matures will show a mottled appearance of tan and gray as older pieces flake off.
The showy flowering of Kousa dogwood in late spring is its most noteworthy feature, just as it is with the native U.S. flowering dogwood, Cornus florida. In both cases the flower itself is insignificant compared to the four-pointed petal-like bracts between 1 and 2 inches long that surround each central flower. The bracts can persist for as long as a month and will sometimes develop pinkish edges towards the end of their life. By the fall there will be bumpy reddish fruits dangling on long stems, looking a bit like tiny naval mines. The Kousa dogwood has been generally cold hardy in Denver but can suffer from unseasonable freezes; it’s a bit more cold hardy than the native U.S. flowering dogwood. Many cultivars of Kousa dogwood have been created varying in terms of foliage color and variegation, plant structure and color of the bracts. Pink has been the quest and some plants meet the goal but can have the color quickly fade to white in hot climates. Speaking of heat effects on some plants, the other Regis Kousa dogwood nearby on the south-facing wall of the West Hall courtyard has not grown as well because of the greater number of hours of sun exposure and the reflected heat from the brick behind it.