Kousa Dogwood, Chinese Dogwood, Japanese Dogwood 'Milky Way'

This is an improved cultivar of the standard Kousa dogwood. I think a lot of the Kousas I see in the old downtowns of the Virginia Piedmo...Read Morent (zone 7a) are this variety. They're a graceful small tree, although they seem too perfect or almost even fake when in bloom. They put on a spectacular display for several weeks in May/June (later than native dogwood) and, as an added bonus, bear edible fruit in the fall. The flavor is mild and reminiscent of candy, but I'll admit the gritty texture is unpleasant enough to put them in the "famine food" category. I bought two Kousas (required for fruit) from Edible Landscaping. They managed to survive being planted in a fairly shady spot in unamended clay soil. Years of neglect followed, and I regret to say I shredded one of them with a 'bush hog' mower when clearing the new growth around them. The other is healthy and growing slowly. A little patience might be required with this one. Or maybe better gardening practices. And sun. In any case, it's one of the few trees I'd plant that isn't beneficial for bees. The pollination of dogwoods is a mystery to me, but it definitely doesn't involve bees.

In the Deep South, best to give this tree partial sun to partial shade -- definitely shade past 2 pm in the afternoon!

Too...Read More much watering or too little watering causes this tree's leaves (and also on the native flowering dogwood) to get brown tips and edges.

There may not really be as many blooms on this tree as there are stars in the Milky Way, but it would be close! Very abundantly blooming ...Read Moreover a long late spring and early summer season, this hard-to-find Chinese Dogwood is a treasure deserving of the best site in your landscape. Every season brings fresh beauty from this tree, and you will never tire of admiring its virtues.

The flowers are creamy-white and simply everywhere, appearing to weigh down the slightly downturned branches. They are followed by masses of red berries that birds find irresistible, persisting from late summer through autumn, even after the mid-green leaves have changed into bold shades of orange and red. And when the foliage finally falls, it is difficult to mourn its passing with the sight of the well-branched silhouette of mottled bicolor bark on display.

Quite adaptable and easy to grow, 'Milky Way' is resistant to most pests and diseases (including Anthracnose). You will find it trouble-free to grow and a pleasure to watch as the seasons pass. Zones 5-8