kousa dogwood
Cornus kousa
What appear to be four white petals are actually pointed bracts; the true flowers are tiny and clustered in the center.
- Scientific name
- Cornus kousa
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Cornales › Cornaceae › Cornus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Temperate deciduous forests, woodland edges, and cultivated urban landscapes.
- Diet
- Photosynthesis (sunlight), water, and soil nutrients.
- Range
- Japan, Korea, China, North America, Europe
- Size
- 8 to 12 meters in height with a similar spread.
- Lifespan
- 50 to 150 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Scale insects, dogwood borers, and competition from invasive understory species.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and non-toxic. The fleshy red fruits are edible for humans when soft, though the skin is gritty. Maintain a respectful distance to avoid damaging the delicate branches or bark.
Cornus kousa is a small deciduous tree 8–12 m (26–39 ft) tall, in the flowering plant family Cornaceae. Common names include kousa , kousa dogwood , Chinese dogwood , Korean dogwood , and Japanese dogwood . Synonyms are Benthamia kousa and Cynoxylon kousa . It is a plant native to East Asia including Korea, China and Japan. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, it is naturalized in New York State.
Photo: Σ64, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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