PLANT FINDER
National Chinese Dogwood Cornus kousa 'National' Height: 25 feet Spread: 25 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 5 Other Names: Kousa Dogwood Description: An impressive vase shaped variety with deep green foliage turning burgundy in fall; showy white flowers in spring and an upright habit of growth; requires rich, well-drained acidic soil, adequate precipitation and some afternoon shade Ornamental Features National Chinese Dogwood features showy clusters of light green flowers with creamy white bracts held atop the branches in late spring. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries from early to mid fall. It has green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn brick red in fall. The peeling gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape. Landscape Attributes National Chinese Dogwood is an open deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics. National Chinese Dogwood is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing National Chinese Dogwood will grow to be about 25 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 25 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. Nursery Notes In Middle Tennessee, Dogwoods perform very well as understory trees, meaning they are planted under the canopy of larger shade trees. Alternatively, Dogwoods should ideally be planted in partial shade locations.
