Cornus kousa China Dawn - Kousa Dogwood

The Cornus kousa 'China Dawn' is a selection that is mainly known for the variegation of its foliage. The beautiful green leaves are adorned with a visible cream-white margin that gives a bright aspect to the plant. In spring, the inflorescences appear in the form of four star-shaped white bracts, slightly overhanging the vegetation. The flowering fades after a few weeks, gradually giving way to beautiful round carmine-fuchsia berries, which ripen during a long hot summer. Very hardy and quite easy to grow, this beautiful shrub undoubtedly deserves its place in the garden, either as a standalone plant or within a large shrub border.

The Cornus belongs to the rather confidential family of Cornaceae, which, after several revisions of the botanical classification, now includes only the genera Cornus and Alangium. In nature, Cornus kousa is a small tree or large shrub, native to Japan, China, and Korea. Its architectural silhouette, formed by generally tiered and horizontal branches, gives it a very Japanese appearance. The botanical species has given rise to several horticultural varieties, the result of breeders' work.
This is the case with China Dawn, with its luminous green foliage variegated with white, which is very dense. The elliptical leaves, slightly wider towards the base, are pointed at the tip, while the margin of the leaf blade tends to undulate. The leaves are medium green with a relatively wide cream-white margin, which can even occupy nearly two-thirds of the surface on some leaves. This slow-growing shrub, which will reach approximately 2.50 m in height in ten years and will only exceed 3 m in optimal conditions, in mild climates, has a tabular habit, almost as wide as it is tall. From mid-May to late June, it produces white inflorescences, about ten centimetres in diameter. They consist of a greenish core that then slightly yellows, which is called a glomerule, as it is formed by small flowers clustered together to form this small central sphere. It is surrounded by four bracts arranged in a cross, which form a very decorative white star. Morphologically, these are transformed leaves, which are generally mistaken for flowers. In China Dawn, the bracts are oval, fairly wide, and rounded at the tip. Carried by upright peduncles, these very architectural inflorescences seem to float a few centimetres above the foliage. They add a good amount of whiteness that makes this shrub even brighter, especially if it is planted in partial shade. The flowers are followed by 2.5 cm in diameter fruits, red, similar to strawberries. The higher the summer temperatures, the more abundant the fruiting. The fruits are edible, fleshy, with a sweet flavour, but without any real gustatory interest. Decorative, they add an ornamental appeal at the end of the season, contrasting nicely with the variegated foliage. The foliage takes on warm red and orange colours in autumn before falling to the ground.