The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Southern Cross kousa dogwood

Family: Cornaceae (dogwood family)

Distribution: Species native to e. Asia

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Deciduous tree

Comments: A small, low-branched, deciduous tree, 10-12' tall and wide with a somewhat restrained growth habit. It has dense green summer foliage turning vivid red in fall. True flowers are small, greenish yellow in dense heads. Large, creamy white flower bracts may persist for several weeks. Fruits are a combination of many carpels (syncarp) and when ripe, are similar to strawberries on stalks, 1-2" across.