Cornus kousa China Girl - Flowering Dogwood

Cornus Kousa 'China Girl' is an interesting bush for its scarlet red foliage in autumn, as well as for its very abundant 10 cm (3.9 in) diameter flowers.

The 'China Girl' Kousa Dogwood is a tree with a wide cone shape and cracked bark. The leaves are deciduous, measuring 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3.1 in) long, ovate with wavy edges and dark green turning scarlet red in autumn. Its foliage is very dense. The small green flowers, measuring 0.5 to 1 cm (0.2 to 0.4 in) in diameter, form clusters surrounded by 4 large white bracts measuring 5 cm (2 in) long. The flowering is very abundant in June. At maturity, this Cornus can reach a height of 6m (20ft). The fruits, which appear in September, resemble dark pink strawberries measuring 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1.2 in).

The species is compact and hardy (-20° (-4 °F)), making it suitable for all climates.

It is very decorative in spring for its flowering and in autumn for its beautiful scarlet red foliage. It is interesting as a stand-alone bush for small gardens, in flower beds, as well as in hedges. It can be associated with other bushes, for example in your ericaceous flower beds. It makes a perfect companion for rhododendrons.