Kousa dogwood
Cornus kousa | Family: Cornaceae
submission: Jonathan Tauro
Identification:
Leaves—dark green leaves and elliptic-ovate in shape
Twigs—slender, purple, or green to light brown
Flowers—small, greenish-yellow flowers surrounded by white bracts
Fruit—very unusual, edible drupe light red to pink in color, round shape
Bark—initially smooth and light brown
Hover over one of the descriptions to see an example.
Natural History:
Lifespan—between 50 and 150 years
General description—Typically multiple stems, wide branching reaching a height of 30 feet.
Natural distribution and habitat—This tree can be found in most U.S. states, excluding some states in the Midwest and the Northwest United States, as well as Florida. It also prefers areas with full or partial exposure to the sun and grows best in loamy soil that"s littered with mulch or leaves.
Conservation status—Least Concern (LC)
Uses—Legend has it that the wood used to build the cross on which God was crucified was taken from this dogwood tree.
References:
- Kousa dogwood (Japanese Dogwood)Cornus kousa. Kousa Dogwood (Japanese Dogwood) Tree on the Tree Guide at arborday.org. (n.d.). https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeGuide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=830.
- Cornus kousa. Cornus kousa (Chinese Dogwood, Kousa Dogwood) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-kousa/.
- Wikimedia Foundation. (2017, June 14). Kousa dogwood. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kousa_Dogwood.
- Yale University. Kousa Dogwood | Yale Nature Walk. (2021, April 27). https://naturewalk.yale.edu/trees/cornaceae/cornus-kousa/kousa-dogwood-136.
- Virginia tech dendrology. Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet. (n.d.). http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=133.
- Tree profiles: Kousa dogwood, Part 1 (Cornus kousa). Iron Tree - Tree Knowledge Base. (2019, May 23). https://blog.irontreeservice.com/tree-profiles-kousa-dogwood-part-1-cornus-kousa/.
See our other pages
