Cornus kousa Pink Lips

Cornus kousa Pink Lips is an amazing flowering Dogwood, whose foliage is as ornamental as its flowers. The delicate and elongated, curiously wavy leaves are stunning in spring when they combine green, white, and pink, giving a very bright aspect to the bush. They gradually turn green as the flowering appears in June, in the form of pink bracts surrounding the true flower. This then evolves into decorative red fruit at the end of summer, while in autumn, the foliage turns pink again, almost purple. An extremely decorative shrub, with attractive colours from spring to autumn. A guaranteed spectacle for three-quarters of the year!

Cornus kousa, native to China, Japan, and Korea, belongs to the Cornaceae family, like Davidia (the handkerchief tree) or Nyssa. There are several dozen species of Dogwoods, most of which are shrubs, but there are also small trees, such as Cornus nuttallii, and undershrubs, such as Cornus canadensis, which forms a ground cover.
'Pink Lips' is a very original cultivar of the Japanese Dogwood, easily recognisable by its atypical foliage. This medium-sized shrub has slow growth and initially has an upright habit, which gradually becomes more rounded. After about ten years in the ground, it will have a bushy habit, reaching a height of about 2m to 2.50m with a spread of 2m. At maturity, it will not exceed 3m in height, which is perfect for small gardens, as well as for planting in flower beds.
Its elongated leaves are narrow, and wave and curve curiously, taking on a wrinkled appearance. Placed opposite each other on the fine branches, their particular morphology gives a tousled aspect to the plant in spring when they emerge and begin to grow. They are variegated in a mix of green and white with pink veins, creating a superb combination of colours with the almost red pink of the young branches. Gradually, they turn green during the season, providing a uniform background for the splendid flowering in June (or July in cold climates). The spherical, greenish flowers would be quite insignificant if they were not surrounded by 4 large bracts, which are transformed leaves resembling petals. They are bright pink slightly veined with white and approximately oval, they form inflorescences 8cm in diameter, highlighted by the green background of the vegetation. This abundant flowering is one of the most beautiful in the plant kingdom, often rightly compared to a flight of butterflies, as it is very airy. In late summer, the flowers develop into small, red fleshy, spherical fruits, carried by a long peduncle, resembling strawberries, and quite decorative. In autumn, the foliage takes centre stage again, turning pink once more, marbled with green, its intensity gradually increasing, almost approaching purplish pink by the end of the season, before finally falling before winter.
This is a shrub for neutral to acidic soil and appreciates humus-bearing, moist to wet but well-drained soils. It is resistant to temperatures as low as -15°C to -20°C,  and grows in full sun, but in hot climates, it prefers partial shade, which guarantees better atmospheric humidity.

Cornus kousa 'Pink Lips' requires little maintenance, is particularly resistant to diseases, and due to its limited growth, does not need to be pruned. It just needs to be watered during hot periods to prevent the soil from drying out. It is in partially shaded situations that the luminous character of its variegated foliage will be best highlighted. It will be perfect integrated into an acid soil flower bed, planted in the second layer. At its feet, plant low shrubs such as Andromeda polifolia Compacta, a charming ground cover with very fine dark green foliage, which is covered with small white-pink bells from April to June. Slightly taller Sarcococca Winter Gem is an evergreen undershrub of about 70cm that flowers from January to March, producing small highly fragrant white and pink flowers. To extend the range of summer blooms, go for Hydrangea French Bolero, an extraordinary Hydrangea with a voluptuous tender flowering from June to September. In the background, nothing beats a small tree like Magnolia brooklynensis Yellow Bird, a variety with rather fast growth that will reward you in May, and sometimes also in summer, with beautiful yellow flowers.