Cornus kousa var. chinensis Mandarin Jewel® - Kousa Dogwood

The Cornus kousa var. chinensis Mandarin Jewel is a variety of Japanese Dogwood prized for its spring flowers, fruits, and foliage. Formed by four large star-shaped bracts, the pure white inflorescences appear delicately placed on the dark green foliage, beautifully highlighting them. Later in the season, they produce highly decorative fruits that change from yellow to orange when ripe, adding visual interest to the garden. The spectacle continues in autumn, when the foliage turns a stunning yellow-orange colour. This large shrub or small tree is hardy and requires minimal maintenance, thriving in neutral to acidic and moist soil.

Dogwoods belong to the small and loosely defined botanical family Cornaceae, which also includes the well-known genus Aucuba among gardeners. The Cornus genus comprises several dozen species of deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs, many of which are used for ornamental purposes. Cornus kousa (synonym Benthamia japonica) is native to Korea and Japan, where it is locally called Yamaboushi. It is found on the large central island of Honshu (where Tokyo is located) and further south. It is also found in northern India and up to Bhutan. In these regions, it forms large shrubs up to 6 metres in height and even small trees up to 10 metres. It was introduced to Europe around 1875 for its ornamental qualities. The botanical variety or subspecies chinensis, as the name suggests, is indigenous to China, in the central and western parts of the country, where it grows up to 2200 metres above sea level. It is distinguished by its hairless leaves on the underside.
Mandarin Jewel is a recent horticultural selection, introduced to the market in 2012, and credited to American breeder Tim Brotzman. A true gem for plant enthusiasts, this large shrub reaches a height of 6 metres after 10 years of growth and has a width of 3.5 metres. It has an upright, somewhat conical habit with a tabular branching, but less pronounced than in varieties that spread horizontally. The foliage is typical of the species, with a dark green colour, and the ovate leaves have acuminate tips, measuring approximately 4 to 8 cm in length. Flowering begins in late May or early June, with inflorescences measuring 9 to 10 cm in diameter. These are clusters of small true flowers, surrounded by four broad and pointed bracts forming a star shape. These bracts, which, from a physiological point of view, are actually transformed leaves, remain for a few weeks after the pollination of the true flowers. Highly floriferous, this variety is magnificent in June, when dozens of inflorescences seem to be resting on the foliage. After the bracts fall, the central flowers transform into fruits approximately 2.5 cm in diameter, prominently displayed against the dark foliage with their yellow colour. Resembling spherical strawberries, their colour then changes to orange, creating a new point of interest in the garden due to their decorative nature. For the food enthusiasts, it is worth noting that these fruits are edible, with a sweetish flesh but lacking true gastronomic appeal. In autumn, the dark green foliage gradually turns a highly ornamental yellow-orange colour due to the first cold weather.

The Mandarin Jewel Dogwood combines numerous ornamental features and deserves a prominent place in the garden, either as a standalone specimen on a lawn or integrated into a mixed border as a background plant. To create a grand autumn scene, plant a Winged Spindle Tree like the small Euonymus alatus Ciliodentatus at its base, whose foliage turns incredible shades of pink and then bright red, providing a striking contrast to the yellow flowers of your Dogwood. If you have enough space, you can also plant a Nyssa sylvatica Red Rage behind Mandarin Jewel, a pyramidal Black Tupelo tree that ignites with red hues in autumn. To brighten up spring, also plant some Chinese Azaleas (Azalea mollis) in the foreground, with trumpet-shaped flowers blooming in May-June.