1. Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Habitat – native to Japan, Korea and China – hardy to zone 5 Habit and Form – a small, deciduous tree – reaching about 30' tall – width equal to or greater than height – shape is rounded at maturity – young plants are vase-shaped – branching is upright and spreading but becomes more horizontal and tiered with age

2. Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Summer Foliage – opposite, simple leaves – elliptic to ovate leaf shape – leaves 2" to 4" long and 0.75" to 1" wide – tufts of hairs in the vein axils and the leaf undersides – leaf color is a dark medium green Autumn Foliage – leaves turn red or red-purple – color holds for at least a few weeks

3. Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Flowers – flowers are small and greenish- yellow – the flowers are surrounded by four large, showy, pointed bracts – bracts are white, but age to pink – bloom time is early June – bracts last for about 6 weeks, making for a very long effective bloom time – individual bracts are 1" to 2" long and about 0.5" to 0.75" wide – flowers are held upright along stems

4. Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Fruit – dull, raspberry red, pendant fruits when ripe – ripe fruits look somewhat like large raspberries – unripe, green fruits, stand upright along the stems – ripening occurs form late august through October – fruits are mealy, but edible – fruit display can be showy

5. Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Bark – older bark develops an exfoliating character, revealing a mix of gray- tan and mahogany brown – the quality of the bark seems to be somewhat variable, but usually of ornamental interest

6. Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Culture – full sun to partial shade – prefers a moist, fertile, acidic, well-drained soil high in organic matter – shows better drought resistance than C. florida – it may be desirable to remove some lower branches to reveal the bark