Home » Plants & Animals » Fruit Gardens » Fruits of Fall-the Kousa Dogwood

Fruits of Fall-the Kousa Dogwood

© Connie Krochmal

When it comes to the fruits of fall, the dogwoods aren't likely to be the ones that come to mind. Several species bear edible fruits with the Cornelian cherry being the best known example.

Now that the native white-flowering dogwood is suffering serious disease problems, the resistant kousa has become an excellent choice for landscapes.

Much loved in China and Japan, kousa fruits are known as yamaboshi or yang-mei. The exotic-looking, strawberry-like fruits are flattened. They ripen to a wine red in August, lasting until October. Nice and juicy, these have an excellent flavor.

The leaves are also edible, and are a traditional dish in Japan and China.

Given a sunny spot in acid, well-drained soil, the refined kousa will thrive. A carefree plant requiring little attention, it is drought resistant and hardy to zone five. Unaffected by the anthracnose and powdery mildew that taint the native dogwoods, this tree has few if any insect or disease problems.

The species plant is usually 18 to 20 feet tall, though it can reach 30 feet under ideal conditions. Its spread is almost equal.

With its rounded, spreading shape, kousa is ideal as a specimen tree, while those with multiple trunks are well suited to shrub borders.

Few deciduous trees can withstand winter's unsparing gaze. Stripped of their summery finery, their true natures are exposed. The dazzling kousa dogwood offers something of interest in every season. Its winter character is especially appealing at a time when we need beauty the most.

When the foul weather finally removes kousa's crimson to reddish-purple fall foliage, its exfoliating bark, a rich mixture in various shades of brown and gray, is unveiled. As if that isn't enough of a cold-weather treat, the exquisite detail of this tree's tiered branching pattern is also revealed.

Later in mid-spring when we're ready for a change, the attractive hunter green foliage unfurls. The opposite leaves are rather large, up to four inches long, and almost half as wide. They appear flatter and larger than those of the native dogwoods.

Kousa dogwood and poinsettia share a trait. Both have insignificant blooms, for what we take to be flowers are colorful bracts. Most kousa dogwoods have creamy white bracts, up to two inches in length, and almost half as wide. They stand upright along the spreading branches, highlighting the tree's shapely form. Fading to pink, bracts last for six weeks.