Cornus kousa Schmetterling - Flowering Dogwood

Cornus kousa 'Schmetterling' is a variety that stands out for its compact and erect habit and the unique colour of its flowering! In spring, this elegant slender bush proudly carries a bright blanket of large 10 cm (3.9 in) diameter flowers, tinged with spectacular green in spring. It forms a bush with multiple trunks or a small spreading tree that reaches only 4 m (13.1 ft) in height and 3 m (9.8 ft) in width. Its graceful and dense silhouette is perfect for enhancing a small semi-shaded garden, as a mass in front of a house with geraniums at its base, or as a standalone on a lawn in front of a viewpoint. Its flowering occurs in April-May with large flowers, resembling countless shimmering butterflies, on charming pendulous, undulate, dark green foliage. They are followed by cascades of large red-pink berries, remaining attractive until autumn when the foliage turns orange and then scarlet before falling to the ground. Hardy and robust, simply provide it with a location in the sun or semi-shade, in fresh, well-drained, rich, deep, and non-calcareous soil.

Cornus kousa or the Japanese dogwood is a tree with small growth or a large shrub, native to Japan, China, and Korea. Its striking silhouette, supported by layered and horizontal branches, gives it a very Japanese appearance. The variety 'Schmetterling' is the result of many years of research and intense work of selection and hybridisation. It is characterised by a pure white flowering with very tapered bracts and large dark green foliage. This cultivar has an upright and spreading habit, reaching approximately 4 m (13.1 ft) in height and 3 m (9.8 ft) in width after many years. Despite its slow growth, it is a hardy and easy-to-grow shrub as long as it enjoys morning or evening sun, not too scorching, and well-drained, fresh, preferably fertile, and non-calcareous soil.

The flowering of 'Schmetterling' takes place in May-June, even on subjects aged 3 to 4 years. The bush is adorned with a multitude of large 'flowers', which are actually inflorescences. These are clusters of small true flowers surrounded by 4 oval bracts with particularly tapered tips, arranged in 10 cm (3.9 in) diameter stars, ranging from greenish-white to very light chartreuse. The flowers are arranged on the tree as if they were placed on the foliage. They are followed by numerous good-sized, strawberry-like fruits, ranging from pink to carmine red. The higher the summer temperatures, the more generous the fruiting. The fleshy fruits are edible, with a sweet flavour, but they do not have a real taste value. 'Schmetterling' has deciduous dark green foliage that turns orange and then scarlet in autumn. The leaves of Cornus kousa are ovate, strongly veined, slightly closed, with undulating edges and pendulous. They measure between 5 cm and 8 cm (2 in to 3.1 in) long and are arranged opposite each other along the branches.

Cornus kousa 'Schmetterling' thrives in continental climates, with marked summers and winters, but performs very well in milder areas. In hot regions, it should be placed in a sheltered spot, in consistently moist soil. This Japanese dogwood is still rare in gardens but nevertheless very easy to grow once it has been carefully planted. It alone constitutes a beautiful attraction and deserves to be planted as a standalone, towering in the middle of a lawn for example. It will also be advantageous at the back of a bed composed of heather or shrubs with staggered flowering or evergreen foliage. Choose, for example, to plant it with oakleaf or panicle hydrangeas, Japanese maples with purple foliage, a Cercis, a Fothergilla, or a Tetradium daniellii, the bee tree.