Cornus kousa

COMMON NAME: Kousa Dogwood; Japanese Dogwood

FAMILY: Dogwood Family; Cornaceae

GROWTH HABIT: Either shrub-like, with spreading branches, and a rounded crown,, or which a tallish, narrow crown.

FOLIAGE: Simple, opposite, deciduous. 2 -5 in. long. Elliptic-ovate, thinner and slightly less abruptly pointed that flowering dogwood, with a smooth or barely wavy-tooth margin. Base broadly wedge-shaped or (rarely) rounded. Characteristic dogwood venation pattern. Glaucous below with pale, minute flattened hairs along lower surface and longer, rusty-colored hairs in vein axils.

BARK: Brown, mottle, thin, flaky

FLOWERS: After the leaves, from mid- or late May until late June. Four pale green, white, or yellowing petal-like bracts are gracefully pointed at apices. True flowers (or flower buds) tiny in a prominent round, greenish head in the center.

FRUIT: Red, compound droop which looks like a raspberry or strawberry.

NATIVE HABITAT: Japan, Korea, China