Cornus kousa Beni-fuji - Kousa Dogwood

The Cornus kousa Benifuji is a variety of Japanese Dogwood whose flowering is sure to captivate. Well highlighted by the bright green foliage, with a slightly glossy appearance, the pink star-shaped inflorescences are a sight to behold in spring. In late summer, the flowers turn into decorative red fruits, which pleasantly contrast with the foliage. Finally, in autumn, the leaves turn red and orange, creating a beautiful scene. Ornamental for three-quarters of the year, this shrub truly deserves a place in the garden.

The Dogwood belongs to the relatively unknown family of Cornaceae, which, after several revisions of botanical classification, now only includes the genera Cornus and Alangium. In nature, Cornus kousa is a tree of small stature or a large shrub, growing in Japan, China, and Korea. Its graphic silhouette, formed by generally tiered and horizontal branches, gives it a very Japanese look.
Benifuji (or Beni-Fuji) comes from a natural seedling collected on the southeast slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan, hence its name, at an altitude between 800 and 1000 m. Three Japanese nurserymen launched a mass selection in 1970 and isolated this natural variety in 1978, which they believed deserved to be introduced to the market. They identified an interesting concentration of red pigments, which is evident in the trunk and flowering. After years of observation and propagation to ensure the stability of the variety, they finally patented it in 1994.
This slow to moderate-growing shrub can reach, under favourable conditions, a height of 3 m to 3.50 m in 10 years, with a width of 2 m to 2.50 m. It has a rather upright habit, which may gradually widen with age. After 20 years in the ground, its height will approach 4 m to 4.50 m. The branches are upright at a 45° angle and form a fairly dense vegetation. The medium-sized leaves, slightly smaller than the species-type C. Kousa, are lanceolate, measuring an average of 8 cm long (7 to 11 cm) and 4.2 cm wide (3.5 to 5 cm). They have a glossy appearance and a dark green colour.
From May to June, beautiful star-shaped inflorescences with four branches are formed, consisting of a central cluster surrounded by colourful bracts. The cluster is made up of small true flowers closely packed together, with a greenish colour. The bracts are transformed leaves, which are often mistaken for flowers because they are the ornamental part. In Benifuji, they take on a deep pink colour from the moment they appear, with a pointed oval shape at the tip. Very floriferous, this shrub is one of the most beautiful spring spectacles. In late summer, the fruits turn red, resembling blackberries or strawberries, and can be eaten when ripe in September (birds also enjoy them!). They are quite decorative against the darker foliage, which, a month later, takes on beautiful autumnal colours, turning red and orange, sometimes even purple.

The Cornus kousa Benifuji requires little maintenance, is resistant to diseases, and does not need to be pruned. Just remember to water it during hot periods to prevent the soil from drying out. It will be perfect in a heather soil flower bed, planted in the second row. At its base, plant low shrubs such as Andromeda polifolia Nikko, a charming ground cover with very fine dark green foliage, which is covered in small white bells from April to June. To extend the flowering period of your flower bed, consider the Skimmia reevesiana, a small evergreen shrub that combines the attraction of ornamental dark green foliage all year round, a fragrant white-pinkish flowering in March-April, and a very decorative red fruiting in autumn and winter. And to also have flowers in summer, choose a beautiful Hydrangea such as the Hydrangea paniculata Bloody Mary with large creamy-white inflorescences that gradually turn deep red.