How big do kousa dogwood get?
Cornus kousa, commonly called Kousa dogwood, is a small, deciduous flowering tree or multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows 15-30′ tall, with a vase-shaped habit in the early years but eventually maturing to a more rounded form. Bloom occurs in late spring. Cornus kousa Chinensis is best grown as a specimen tree in a fertile, humus-rich and neutral to acid soil in full sun or partial shade. It is not recommended for poor or shallow soils. Slow-growing when young, but can speed up after a few years when established.
Can kousa dogwood be kept small?
A: This isn’t a huge species, but without any pruning, Kousa dogwoods can grow 25 feet tall and wide. You can keep it smaller with annual pruning. One good time is at the end of winter, just before new growth begins. Pruning is not recommended in the first few years. Only remove any damaged, diseased, diagonal, or dying branches, keeping the cuts as clean as possible. The natural shape of Kousa Dogwood takes a few years to establish, and the younger trees typically have a different canopy shape than mature trees.Dogwood trees are well known for their delicate beauty in the landscape. Kousa dogwood not only meets the standard for attractiveness, it adds a hardiness that makes this species an excellent choice for home landscapes and urban areas. This small tree makes its visual contribution year-round.Some of the tree and shrub dogwoods (Cornus kousa) have a graceful spreading habit, which provides sweeping branches of eye-catching white or pink flower bracts.The roots of the Kousa Dogwood are non-invasive so they are great for planting near homes, pools, driveways, and sidewalks with no fear of issues.Kousa dogwood evolved in Asia with the animals native there – very different animals. Both species of dogwood have beautiful spring flowers, but the native Flowering Dogwood blooms weeks earlier – just as local pollinators emerge looking for nectar and pollen. Kousa dogwood blooms much later in the spring.
Does Kousa Dogwood have invasive roots?
The roots of the Kousa Dogwood are non-invasive so they are great for planting near homes, pools, driveways, and sidewalks with no fear of issues. The kousa dogwood originated in Japan, Korea and China. It grows best in hardiness zones 5 to 8 (Wayne County is in a zone 8). It will grow about the same size as a flowering dogwood of 15 to 30 feet tall and wide but they are slow growing, only growing about 10 feet in 15 years.
Do kousa dogwoods bloom every year?
Every spring and summer, flowering dogwoods put on a gorgeous display. Their profuse blooms come in shades of showy white, pink, light green, red, and cream. Perhaps the most iconic dogwood, this small tree is celebrated for its showy white or pink bracts, which bloom in spring and resemble large flowers. Its vibrant red berries and stunning fall color make it a landscape highlight.White Flowering Dogwood is simply the most beautiful of all the native trees, largely because of its spring flowers, which bloom from March through June. The flowers appear large, but in fact the flower itself is a small, green circle, about the size of a dime.The best cultivars have stems that are stand-out red or yellow after the leaves fall. There are more than a few ornamental dogwoods for winter for you to choose from. One popular choice is blood twig dogwood (Cornus Sanguinea ‘Cato’), a dwarf cultivar with yellow stems and crimson tips during winter.
What is the lifespan of a kousa dogwood tree?
It can thrive in full sun and partial shade. It is also moderately tolerant of drought conditions. Kousa dogwood blooms a month later than flowering dogwood. The life expectancy of Kousa dogwood is between 50 and 150 years. Cornus kousa ‘China Girl’ (Flowering Dogwood) This popular dogwood is an improved and reliable, early flowering form of the more well known Cornus kousa var chinensis and has masses of large, creamy-white flower bracts covering the branches in early to mid summer once established.Some of the differences are the bloom time, fruit structure, and bark texture. Flowering dogwood blooms about 1 month prior to kousa dogwood and the fruits of flowering dogwood are bright red berry-like drupes, whereas kousa dogwood fruits are a globose pink to red compound drupe.