Satomi kousa dogwood

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; give afternoon shade in hotter climates and shelter from drying winds.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water established trees deeply during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably acidic to neutral. Avoid chalky soil, standing water and compacted ground.

Height

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Spread

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Flowers

Late spring to early summer, after the leaves open; small greenish-yellow flowers are surrounded by four pink bracts that often deepen in colour as they age.

Foliage

Dark green, oval leaves with pointed tips, turning red, purple and sometimes orange in autumn.

Growth

Slow to moderate; allow many years for a broad, mature canopy.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Disease resistant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

About 26 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level, leaving enough room for the mature spreading crown.
• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two or three growing seasons.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.
• Top-dress with compost in spring; use fertiliser only if growth or a soil test indicates a need.
• Keep lawn equipment away from the trunk and avoid digging beneath the canopy.

Pruning. Prune lightly in late winter while dormant, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches. Preserve the naturally layered crown and avoid topping or routine hard pruning.

Late winter

Remove dead or crossing branches and check any tree ties for rubbing.

Spring

Plant where the soil is workable, water thoroughly and refresh the mulch without covering the root flare.

Late spring

Check new leaves for yellowing or spots; investigate drainage and soil pH before applying treatments.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells, especially while the tree is establishing.

Autumn

Collect fallen fruit from paths and remove unwanted seedlings.

Late autumn

Plant in mild climates where the ground remains workable and winter drainage is good.

• Use as a lawn specimen where its spreading branches can develop without repeated pruning.
• Place at a woodland edge above ferns, hostas and other shade-tolerant groundcover.
• Frame a patio or seating area with spring bracts, autumn colour and winter bark.
• Combine with rhododendrons and Japanese maples in a sheltered, acidic-soil border.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Woodland, Arts and Crafts, English country, Autumn colour and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Japanese maple, Rhododendron, Japanese forest grass, Hosta, Japanese painted fern and Epimedium.

Wildlife: Birds and some mammals eat the ripe fruit. The small true flowers offer food to visiting insects, while the branches provide cover and nesting sites.

• Brown leaf edges or summer leaf scorch: water deeply, maintain mulch and protect from hot afternoon sun and drying winds.
• Yellow leaves with greener veins on alkaline soil: test soil pH; improve the root environment or relocate a young tree rather than repeatedly adding fertiliser.
• Root rot in wet or compacted soil: correct drainage and avoid overwatering; badly affected trees may need replacement in a better site.
• Powdery mildew or leaf spots: improve airflow, avoid wetting foliage when watering and remove fallen diseased leaves; minor damage rarely needs spraying.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The ripe fruit pulp is edible, but the coarse skin and hard seeds are usually discarded; eating large amounts may cause digestive upset.

Where it spreads. Can self-seed and has escaped cultivation in parts of the eastern United States, including New York and Pennsylvania. It is treated as an emerging invasive concern in some local assessments; check regional guidance before planting near woodland.

• Pink flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

  Usually flowers before or as the leaves emerge, with notched bract tips and clusters of separate red berries; kousa dogwood flowers after leaf emergence and has pointed bracts and rounded, fused fruits.

• Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)

  Usually has four to six large white bracts, often six, and clusters of separate red fruits rather than the strawberry-like fruit of kousa dogwood.

• Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis)

  Usually has white bracts rather than the pink bracts selected in 'Satomi'; foliage and fruit are very similar, and colour alone may be less decisive when 'Satomi' flowers pale.

Cornus comes from the Latin for horn, referring to the hard wood, while kousa derives from a Japanese name for this tree.

Propagation. Usually propagated by grafting or budding onto seedling rootstock. Softwood cuttings can be attempted but rooting is variable; seedlings will not reliably retain 'Satomi' characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Cornus kousa

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Inner Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Nansei-shoto and Taiwan.

Measured

Average height 690 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.