Cornus kousa Flower Tower - Flowering Dogwood

Cornus kousa 'Flower Tower' is a new Dutch selection that stands out for its narrow columnar habit, perfectly suited for decorating small spaces. The bush is splendid in late spring, covered in white bract flowers, but also in autumn, adorned with dazzling foliage. Its original fruits take the form of beautiful round carmine-fuchsia berries, which ripen in a long hot summer. Very hardy and less demanding to grow than its cousin the Cornus florida, this very beautiful bush definitely deserves to be discovered. Give it a prominent place, in full sun or partial shade, in a setting of low shrubs, or surrounded by easy-to-care-for perennials.

Cornus kousa Flower Tower ('ZuilB1') is a horticultural selection derived from the Japanese dogwood, known in Latin as Cornus kousa. This is a small tree or large shrub, native to Japan, China, and Korea. Its naturally architectural silhouette, supported by tiered and horizontal branches, gives it a very Japanese appearance. The 'Flower Tower' variety, resulting from many years of research and intense selection and hybridization work, has a unique habit. This cultivar has a rather slow growth, capable of reaching 4m (13ft) in height and 1m (3ft) in width after many years.

The flowering takes place in May-June. The column of greenery is adorned with a multitude of 'flowers', which are actually inflorescences, measuring about 12 cm (4.7 in) in diameter. These are clusters of small, green true flowers, surrounded by 4 bracts forming a star. They are pure white, living and remaining beautiful for several weeks after the pollination of the true flowers. They are arranged on the tree as if they were placed on the foliage. The flowers are followed by 2.5 cm (1 in) diameter, red fruits, resembling strawberries. The higher the summer temperatures, the more generous the fruiting. The fleshy fruits are edible with a sweet flavour, not very tasty but enhancing the charm of this large shrub at the end of the season. The leaves of the Cornus kousa are ovate, strongly veined and slightly wavy on the edges. They measure between 5 and 8 cm (2 and 3.1 in) in length and are opposite each other along the branches. They often take on magnificent colours in autumn before falling.

Cornus kousa 'Flower Tower' prefers continental climates, with marked summers and winters, but performs very well in milder areas. In hot regions, it should be planted in a spot which is sheltered from the scorching sun. This Japanese dogwood is easy to grow once it has been carefully planted. It is beautiful and deserves to be planted in isolation, standing out in the middle of a lawn, for example. It will also be great in the heart of a bed composed of camellias, Pieris, dwarf Rhododendrons, or plants with staggered bloom times or evergreen foliage. Choose, for example, to accompany it with oakleaf hydrangeas or panicle hydrangeas, Japanese maples with purple foliage, a dwarf winged spindle (Euonymus alatus Compactus) or a Lady in Red purple-leaved physocarpus.