Cornus kousa Roberts Select - Flowering Dogwood

Cornus kousa 'Robert's Select' is a variety of Japanese dogwood highly appreciated for its very large pure white flowers in late spring and its absolutely splendid autumn foliage! It forms a fairly compact bush for the species, reaching a maximum of 2m (6 ft 7 in) in all directions, perfect for embellishing small gardens and the edges of a terrace. It has undulate foliage of a shiny dark green that takes on spectacular shades of bright red to crimson pink before falling in winter. Exceptionally floriferous, it produces numerous flowers with large narrow bright bracts, sometimes exceeding 8cm (3.1 in) in length, offering a beautiful contrast with the dark bush, on which they appear to be simply placed. Small edible, round, red fleshy fruits are formed in summer and persist until autumn. A robust and hardy bush for partial shade and fertile, well-drained, preferably acidic soils.

Cornus kousa is a small tree or a large bush, native to Japan, China and Korea. Its detailed silhouette, supported by layered and horizontal branches, gives it a very Japanese look. Developed from many years of research and intensive work of selection and hybridization, the 'Robert's Select' variety is a horticultural hybrid distinguished by its very large pure white bracts and its shiny dark green foliage turning red in autumn. This cultivar develops a very compact, erect to spreading habit, reaching 2m (6 ft 7 in) in all directions after many years. Despite its slow growth, it is a robust and easy-to-grow bush as long as it benefits from morning or evening sun, not too scorching, and well-drained, preferably fertile soil without limestone.

The flowering of 'Robert's Select' takes place in May-June, on subjects aged 3 to 4 years. The bush is adorned with a multitude of very large 'flowers', which are actually inflorescences. These are clusters of small true green flowers, surrounded by 4 pointed bracts sometimes exceeding 8cm (3.1 in) in length, arranged in stars, pure white in colour. They are arranged on the tree as if they were placed on the foliage. The flowers are followed by fruits measuring 2.5cm (1 in) in diameter, ranging in colour from pink to carmine red and similar to strawberries. The higher the summer temperatures, the more generous the fruiting. The fruits are edible, sweet and fleshy, they are not very tasty but they enhance the charm of this large bush at the end of the season. 'Robert's Select' has sumptuous dark green foliage that turns bright red to reddish pink in autumn. The leaves of Cornus kousa are ovate, strongly veined, slightly closed, quite wavy on the edges, and pendulous. They measure between 5 and 8cm (2 and 3.1 in) in length and are arranged opposite each other along the branches.

Cornus kousa 'Robert's Select' thrives in continental climates, with marked summers and winters, but performs very well in milder areas. In hot regions, it should be sheltered from the scorching sun, in permanently moist soil. This Japanese dogwood is still rare in gardens, but very easy to grow once it has been carefully planted. It is beautiful alone and deserves to be planted in isolation, standing in the middle of a lawn for example. It will also be great at the back of a bed composed of plants or shrubs with staggered flowering or evergreen foliage. Choose, for example, to accompany it with oakleaf or paniculate hydrangeas, Japanese maples with purple foliage, snowberries, a Cercis, a Fothergilla or a Tetradium daniellii, the honey tree.