The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Speciosa kousa dogwood

Family: Cornaceae (dogwood family)

Distribution: Species native to e. Asia

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Deciduous tree

Comments: A handsome, small, deciduous tree or shrub that can reach 20-30' high and wide. The dark green leaves curl slightly at the margins and impart an interesting bicolor effect. Older wood often develops multicolored gray-tan to rich brown areas due to its exfoliating nature. Large white flowers appear in June followed by pinkish red, 1/2-1" diameter fruits August through October. Excellent plant for blank walls to break up harshness of horizontal and vertical lines, as well as a specimen in the shrub border.