Festooned with clusters of creamy white flowers, this tree is a popular choice in many Pacific Northwest coast gardens. But, even though it looks terrible, I have left it alone and some leaves, however sparse, have come out and it looks better. The kousa dogwood is an Asian variety of our own native dogwood, but has its own unique beauty and is resistant to many of the diseases that affect the North American Dogwood. Don’t use weed killer around trees and ornamel things, roses etc. Or can I try planting the berries? Pest problems may include the usual culprits such as aphids, leafhoppers, weevils and scale insects. In about a year or so, remove the straps. We made a move 7 years ago and transplanted the tree with success. Keep it watered, don’t let it dry out. Before it is covered from limb to limb with blooms so I figure I have 3 and 1/2 more to go. My husband always thinks it’s sick, but a landscaper told me it was perfectly healthy. 72. At 9 am and 1pm and 4pm daily to keep the leaves moist in summer sun of 84 degrees? Maybe I will select a site with more shade but still in the front yard. They naturally grow in a pleasing umbrella shape that works well as a specimen or border tree. The attractive C. kousa is native to Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. It has developed a disease called black spot. Please help me save this beauty. Kousa slowly grows into a lovely, small deciduous tree. We had transplanted it 8 years ago when we made a move and all seemed to be fine until this year. A: Kousa dogwood or any of its varieties grow great in full sun. We live in Virginia and had a strange winter as did everyone. Any information would be appreciated. Sorry I could not be more positive about your getting a tree of your own. I need to move it from where it is and it’s either in the front corner or I toss it out (which I really hate to do as it’s a beautiful tree!). I had one of these beautiful dogwoods at my other house. The dogwood berries are edible though not tasty to us but enjoyed by birds and squirrels. I notice some of you tell us where you live, but not your zone. They are very green and healthy looking just don’t know why they have never bloomed. The dogwood tree can be susceptible to various pests and diseases. We live in Louisville Ky. In spring, alongside Japanese maples and evergreen trees, they are perfect companions to rhododendrons and azaleas. We have a service come out and fertilize the lawn. Backed by his 40-year remodeling career, Danny served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s The Early Show and The Weather Channel for more than a decade. I want to buy a Japanese Kousa Dogwood tree. Also have you checked to see if the tree cracked/split anywhere from the weight of the snow. I just purchased a pink kousa dogwood about 4 feet tall. I live in south central NY state. And like other trees that are native to Japan, they showcase an extremely graceful form. The owner guarantees it for 13 months so that is good! It was given to me by my son and planted at our previous home. As the Kousa Dogwood matures, it branches out horizontally and becomes more wide-spreading. Not being an expert on these different trees, I can only hope it is a temporary problem with yours and next year it will be fine. Thanks for answering, Diane. thank you dianne………i am sure your mom is always saying hello… This tree has been a favorite place for hummingbirds to sit and guard their “personal” feeder so I’m not sure they will be happy with the no-leaves look. I’ll bet it will surprise you and turn out just as beautiful as it was before the storm. This is a fungal disease that begins as leaf spots. 4ft tall, full of leaves. Please do let me know how the little tree does after you prune it. And I am not sure that a twig will root in water. Tolerating cold hardiness in zones 7 – 9, it is typically found in the southwest corner of BC from Vancouver Island and along the west coast down south as far as California, USA. They are so pretty and so cantankerous. Good luck! How to Care for Kousa Dogwoods. i always fertilize in spring and fall. municipalities or cities, dogwood trees may be protected. The following is from a lecture given by a certified arborist, Joseph Murray. Our 15 year old Kousa dogwood has started to ooze an odorless and colorless liquid on some of the main branches. Thank you for the info. Mine is still showing no green so I cut about a third of it off hoping it would get a jolt and put out some leaves. It is full of large red seed pods/berries and is beautiful. I used to live in VA……Clifton… but we retired 18 years ago to TN. The Chinese Dogwood is more disease resistant than most American native varieties. Does it look like there is any disease on it anywhere? It will be well worth the investment to your future beloved prize of your yard. Hi, Muriel, I have a very small Chinese dogwood planted in the back of our garden and I am wondering about putting it along the front corner of our house in our flower garden a few feet from the foundation. It flowers every year. Beautiful exfoliating bark on Japanese Kousa dogwood provide winter interest. When I moved, it was December and couldn’t get one at that time. Think of the kousa dogwood in thirds. Everything I see and read of the Kousa makes me like it more. But, so far, other than some dry curled leaves, it is still growing and is now about 10 ft. tall. Also, from an ecological standpoint, non-native trees are not productive. Edible Garden, Flowering Dogwood Tree (photo by Rosana Brien / My Garden Plot). Every site states that birds eat the fruit but I have never had one bird eat a berry. I live in Massachusetts. Even the fruit which are small & green are falling off. Fertilizer for your lawn is not necessarily good for your trees. If the tree is planted near a walkway, you’ll probably need to remove some lower branches in … The NPR garden show I listen to (Mike McGrath) had some advice for me – I emailed with my question about where to plant my kousa and the response was be sure ti have morning sun and at least 6 hours of sun per day. Berries in late summer grace Japanese Kousa dogwood. I lost my husband a yr and 1/2 ago and his favorite tree was his Kousa Dogwood that’s in our front yard. Thanks for the help -the tree is fully leafed out and did flower appropriately in the nursery this spring.. The Kousa grows to 15 to 20 feet, has flakey bark, and long-lasting white “flowers” which usually come out about a month after its cousin, the Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida.) Here’s what you need to know to grow Kousa dogwoods in your landscape. I personally think they suffer if planted in full sun. C. mas (Cornelian Cherry Dogwood): Height up 7.5 metres (25 feet). I am trying to picture your tree after the snow and from what I see in my mind, I somehow doubt that taping it will work long time. the nursery we bought the tree from said it would be helpful to do this for our tree. Kousa dogwood definition is - a small, deciduous, Asian tree (Cornus kousa of the family Cornaceae) widely cultivated as an ornamental for its showy white floral bracts produced in the late spring or early summer and followed by globular, fleshy, red fruits resembling raspberries —called also Chinese dogwood, Japanese dogwood, Korean dogwood. Mulch. If it has not bloomed so far this year, it won’t. The nursery sold it to me 1/2 price. Can some one help? We are in northern Georgia. Pruning: Regular trimming isn’t necessary with Kousa dogwood, but you may want to selectively prune your tree in order to show off the dramatic branches and bark. 'Little Beauty' - This plant forms a small, densely branched tree that may never exceed 15' tall. Mine outdid itself this year……..it was covered with blooms and now has the big round seeds all over it. Resistance to anthracnose and powdery mildew, two diseases that often plague flowering dogwoods. I wonder if you have had intense heat in your area. The Cornus kousa (Korean Dogwood or just Kousa) tree is more resistant to diseases that plague other dogwoods. Callicarpa – The Eye-catching Beautyberry, Arbutus Madrone And Strawberry Tree Guide, How To Care For Your Rhododendron And Azalea, Pasta With Rosemary, Charred Tomato And Feta. I would like to plant it but where? One not to get is a Smoke Tree. And while it would not directly kill the tree, it does open it up to stress and other vulnerabilities. If there are brown spots on the leaves, this mostly indicates in infestation with a… My personal opinion concerning Kousas is that they do better with some shade. It looks very healthy, but I was wondering if Kousas set their buds in summer or fall like my other dogwoods that are loaded with buds right now. But survive it did. Will it damage or kill the tree. Can I trim it and if so how? I thought it was just a native dogwood. I am concerned with my Kousa Dogwood, in two days it just started getting sun scorch on the leaves and the beautiful blooms are drying up fast and leaves are falling off. It is the best it has ever looked. i am asking the Angels to help all of us. How to Care for Kousa Dogwoods Plant kousa dogwood in full sun to partial shade and organically rich, consistently moist well-drained soil. Am I over or under watering this tiny plant? Zones 5-9. I planted a Japanese flowering dogwood this last spring. Trying to do it by seed is almost an impossibility from what I read. To encourage a shrublike appearance, trim off the top third of the tree with long-handled pruning shears to promote new branch growth near the ground. Actually, its flowers are quite small. Zones 3-8. Remove fallen leaves Prevention includes keeping the soil moist and mulching it if necessary. The shrub’s showiness comes from large white bracts that dwarf the true flowers. Add a circle of organic mulch about 3 feet (1 m.) wide around the base of the tree to help retain moisture to the roots. Mulch your dogwood tree with 1 to 2 inches of mulch extended at least a few inches past the root zone. Dogwoods are native to North America, as well as the Far East. It was absolutely covered with berries………..it looked red when you saw it……….but during the terrible weeks of temps near 0 degrees, it suffered and it looked like the top third simply died. It has a more circular growth habit. This is in answer to Karen’s question. My kousa is about 25 to 30 feet tall. to my horror i saw a crack in the center, it looks like a 5 inch gash straight down. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Thanks for the advice. RELATED TOPIC: To learn more about dogwood anthracnose and how to prevent this fungal disease see “What Is Anthracnose”. Food. It’s now July and the leaves seem very droopy. In what part of the USA do you live? Chinese Dogwood likes full sun. And cut out any damaged branches annually. Edible Garden I’ve watered weekly or more. This last winter was very hard on even established plants and trees and yours may have been one that did not make it. I have a Foster Holly that is about 8 years old and 15 feet tall. Just bought a Milky Way Kousa Dogwood. I want to save this tree, please inform me, I must water more often and keep leaves moist as it is newly planted and six feet tall? Getting a factory-installed dumbwaiter can cost you thousands. Also called Japanese or Chinese dogwood, these Asian cousins of the familiar native flowering dogwood offer a unique look, and they’re resistant to many of the diseases that frequently plague flowering dogwoods. Kousa dogwood is an excellent small specimen tree. The nursery planted a beautiful established Kousa Dogwood near my house. It takes the shape of an umbrella, and is perfect as a specimen tree. We have a wooded lot but they do get partial sun, what can we do to make them bloom? Thankfully the deer walk right by and leave the dogwoods alone for the most part. There is no harm in trying. I planted a Kousa several years ago. When I think about cornus kousa, I think of beautiful oblong dogwood blooms in the garden in early summer when our native dogwood species have already lost their blooms. I wish I had known that before I planted mine where it is. If it doesn’t have buds on it now will it not bloom this spring? Cathy. Good luck with yours. I am familiar with the Weeping Cherry but this one is new to me. I have a Kousa that is 6 years old. Inconspicuous white or pink bracted flowers appear in spring. 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