Chinese Dogwood

By: John Degroot

July 2 2011

 Flowering Dogwood - Garden Clippings for July 2, 2011

                When is a flower not a flower?  When it is found on a Flowering Dogwood.

                The most intriguing feature of Chinese Dogwood (Cornus Kousa var chinensis) is the flower itself.

                  No one would notice the flowers of Chinese Dogwood if it were not for the four bracts surrounding them.  The flower itself is small, inconspicuous and not at all showy.

                  The four bracts that flank the poor flowers are not flowers at all, but are leaf like attachments that give Chinese Dogwood all their beauty.  In spring they open in lime green colour and by mid to late June turn pure white.  Because they are not flower petals they remain showy for a long time.  As summer progresses the white bracts turn slightly pink and then slowly diminish.

                  Sound familiar?  The red colour in poinsettias isn't flowers either but are bracts surrounding the unimpressive yellow flowers.

                  Dogwoods of various kinds originate throughout North America.  Some grow as far north as the areas around Lake Superior.

                  Chinese Dogwoods were brought to Ontario early in the 1900's.     Their claim to fame is the long lasting flowers, good fall colour and small size making them suitable for smaller lots.

                  Chinese Dogwoods can grow to 5 or 6 meters high with a spread of 4 or 5 meters.  As you move south into United States, they can achieve a height of 7 or 8 meters, but that's not likely to happen in Southwestern Ontario where the weather is cooler with a shorter growing season.

                  The best use for Chinese Dogwood is as a specimen tree where it has room to develop on its own and other plants will not detract from it.  It prefers a location in full sun or partial shade.  It does not have fussy soil requirements, but like most plants, its roots do not like to sit in waterlogged soil.

                Like the entire Dogwood family, Chinese Dogwood has no significant disease or pest problems.  It is adaptable to most conditions but performs best in a slightly sheltered spot.  Transplanting is easy but fall planting may be a challenge unless the plant is grown in a container.

                  Chinese Dogwood produces green fruit which first turn pink and then fading to dull red early in the fall.  The fruit looks like raspberries, is not very abundant, and is usually quickly eaten up by birds.

                  If the beautiful white long lasting colour is not enough to enjoy, Chinese Dogwood produces fine fall colour.  The bright green leaves fade to bronze red in fall, turning brighter red before falling off.  Even without flowers and leaves, Chinese Dogwood has a unique winter form with spreading twigs in a horizontal branching pattern.