Cornus kousa Bonfire - Flowering Dogwood

Cornus kousa 'Bonfire'' is a striking and original variety with golden tones in its leaves and flowers. It forms a very ornamental bush with oval, pendulous leaves with beautifully undulating edges, medium green margined with primrose yellow and golden yellow. The spring flowers are smaller than those of other species and appear as very bright lemon-green stars before quickly turning pure white. Edible, round and fleshy fruits resembling strawberries, develop in autumn, at the same time that the leaves take on a spectacular mix of pink, red, and burgundy before falling to the ground. Its compact habit makes it interesting for a large semi-shaded terrace pot. It should be planted away from hot and dry exposures, in a moist, rich, deep, well-drained, neutral to acidic soil.

Cornus kousa or Japanese dogwood is a small tree or large shrub, native to Japan, China, and Korea. Its architectural silhouette, supported by layered and horizontal branches, gives it a very Japanese look. Developed after many years of research and intense selection and hybridization work, the 'Bonfire' variety is characterized by a compact, upright to spreading habit, reaching about 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in all directions after many years. Despite its slow growth, it is a robust and easy-to-grow shrub as long as it receives morning or evening sun, not too intense, and a well-drained, moist, fertile soil, without limestone.

The flowering of 'Bonfire' takes place in May-June, from 3 to 4 years onwards. The shrub is adorned with a multitude of small 'flowers', which are actually inflorescences. These are clusters of small, green, true flowers, surrounded by 4 oval and pointed bracts, arranged in stars, initially lemon-green before turning pure white. The flowers are arranged on the tree as if they were placed on the foliage. After the flowers, numerous good-sized fruits appear, ranging from pink to carmine red and resembling strawberries. The higher the summer temperatures, the more generous the fruiting. The fruits are edible, fleshy, with a sweet flavour, but they are not very tasty, they enhance the charm of this large shrub at the end of the season. 'Bonfire' has medium green leaves edged with primrose yellow to golden yellow, turning pink, red, and burgundy in autumn. The leaves are ovate, strongly veined, slightly closed, and quite wavy on the edges. They measure between 5 and 8 cm (2 and 3.1 in) long and are opposite to each other along the branches.

Cornus kousa 'Bonfire' thrives in continental climates, with marked summers and winters, but performs very well in milder areas. In hot regions, it should be planted in shade, in soil which is always moist. This Japanese dogwood is still rare in gardens but very easy to grow as long as it has been carefully planted. It is beautiful and deserves to be planted in isolation, standing out in the middle of a lawn for example. It will also be great at the back of a bed composed of heather or shrubs with staggered flowering or evergreen foliage. Choose, for example, to accompany it with oakleaf or paniculate hydrangeas, Japanese maples with purple foliage, symphorines, a Cercis, a Fothergilla, or a Tetradium daniellii, the bee tree.