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Tree of The Week - Kousa Dogwood

Corynne Smalygo
Social Media and Customer Service Representative

Kousa Dogwood 

 

                       

                      The Kousa Dogwood, also known as Cornus kousa, is a small deciduous tree that can grow up to 39 feet tall and is native to East Asia, Korea, China and Japan. It has been mainly used as an ornamental and was naturalized in New York State 

           This tree is extremely beautiful when it is in full bloom. Although what appears to be white flowers, they are actually rounded flower bracts. The center of the “flower” is the flower itself which is yellow, then green and eventually a darker red. This process will take some time because that flower is turning into a fruit! This berry is bitter on the outside but has a sweet custard-like center mainly used for jams and sauces. They will reach about 2-3cm at the end of the season and will be ready for eating.  

 

                 

                    A Kousa Dogwood need to be in full to partial shade and have very moist and well-drained soil. If it is not properly drained, it can cause root disease. You will want to remove dead, Diseased, insect-infested or broken branches after its bloom for the spring. If it has any conflicting branches, where the branches are rubbing against each other, you want to remove one of those as well. If you are unsure, please contact us today and we will be more than happy to help. www.PrincetonTreeCare.com  

 

Credits: homeguides.sfgate.com    wikipedia.org