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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

Cornus kousa 'Greensleeves' back leaves veins. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Cornus kousa 'Greensleeves' back leaves veins. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeKathleen Moore ↗ · CC BY 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.

Generally more disease-tolerant than flowering dogwood; exfoliating bark and fruit add interest.

Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
15–25
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
15–25
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring–early summer
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Get to know this plant.

Identification clue 1

Opposite leaves with curved veins

Identification clue 2

Pointed showy white bracts

Identification clue 3

Round pink-red compound fruit

Read the leaves

Simple opposite leaves have arching side veins. Check the bracts and fruit for separation from flowering dogwood.

More growing details

Read the bark

Older bark may flake into tan and gray patches.

Fruit & seed

Many flowers fuse into one bumpy, rounded fruit suspended on a stalk.

Winter character

Opposite branching and mottled older bark support a winter comparison.

Origin & place

An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.

Compare with Flowering dogwood

Flowering dogwood usually has notched bracts and separate red fruits in clusters.

WNC Notes

Generally more disease-tolerant than flowering dogwood; exfoliating bark and fruit add interest.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

MATURE HEIGHT (FT)

15–25

MATURE WIDTH (FT)

15–25

BLOOM SEASON

Late spring–early summer

BLOOM COLOR

White bracts

FALL / WINTER COLOR

Red-purple

Wet-Soil Tolerance

Moderate

Drought Tolerance

Moderate

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Cornus kousa 'Greensleeves' back leaves veins. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Cornus kousa 'Greensleeves' back leaves veins. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeKathleen Moore ↗ · CC BY 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Cornus kousa 'Greensleeves' bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Cornus kousa 'Greensleeves' bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeKathleen Moore ↗ · CC BY 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Fruit - Fall - Moore Co., NC — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Fruit - Fall - Moore Co., NC — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCathy DeWitt ↗ · CC BY 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.

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