Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum

Scientific name: Cornus kousa

Common name: kousa dogwood

Native: No

Native range: Native to East Asia, but has been introduced to the United States as an ornamental species [1,2,3].

Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for C. kousa.

USDA Zones: 5-8 [1,3]

Maximum age: Lives to an average of 80 years, but may survive up to 125 years [4].

Ecology: Native fauna prefer to forage and use native dogwoods, as opposed to kousa [5,6].

Ethnobotany: The fruit is edible with a taste described as similar to persimmon or apple; it is often made into jelly [5,6]. In Japan, the young leaves are cooked and eaten as greens [5].