Venus dogwood

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful in hot climates. Avoid exposed, drying sites.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially during the first two to three growing seasons.

Soil

Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably acidic to neutral. Poor drainage and strongly alkaline soil cause problems.

Height

15-25 ft (4.6-7.6 m)

Spread

15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m)

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; tiny greenish flowers surrounded by four creamy-white bracts, together sometimes reaching 6 in (15 cm) across.

Foliage

Broad, oval green leaves with prominent curved veins; red, burgundy and purple autumn colour.

Growth

Moderate; relatively vigorous for a flowering dogwood when moisture and soil conditions suit it.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Disease resistant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

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

Difficulty

Moderate

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 (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

5. After 5 years

   11 ft (3.3 m)

About 16 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

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant with the root flare at soil level; choose a position sheltered from strong, drying winds.
• Water deeply when the soil begins to dry, rather than giving frequent light sprinklings.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Keep grass and digging away from the shallow roots.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak; avoid heavy applications of nitrogen fertiliser.

Pruning. Prune lightly after flowering to remove crossing branches and maintain a balanced framework; remove dead or damaged wood when noticed. Avoid routine hard pruning or topping.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable and moist, unless severe winter conditions make spring planting safer.

Early spring

Plant in cold-winter areas and check that the root flare remains exposed.

Spring

Renew mulch and apply a light feed only if needed.

Late spring

Check soil moisture during flowering, particularly around recently planted trees.

Early summer

After flowering, remove crossing branches or unwanted shoots with minimal pruning.

Summer

Water deeply during drought and inspect leaves for scorch or mildew.

• Use as a specimen in a lawn with a wide, mulched root zone rather than grass against the trunk.
• Place at a woodland edge with ferns and shade-tolerant perennials beneath its canopy.
• Set against dark evergreen planting to make the large white bracts stand out.
• Include in a mixed border for spring flowers and red-purple autumn colour, allowing room for its spreading crown.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, English country, White garden, Autumn colour and Traditional.

Plant it with: Japanese maple, Rhododendron, Pieris, Hosta, Japanese painted fern and Hellebore.

Wildlife: The small true flowers may attract visiting insects, and the branching canopy provides shelter for birds. Fruit production is usually sparse, so it is less useful as a bird-food tree than heavily fruiting dogwoods.

• Leaf scorch: brown leaf margins usually follow drought, heat or drying wind; water deeply, mulch and provide afternoon shade in hot locations.
• Root rot: declining growth and dieback can follow waterlogging; improve drainage before planting and avoid persistently wet sites.
• Iron chlorosis: yellow leaves with greener veins can develop in alkaline soil; test the soil and address unsuitable pH rather than repeatedly adding general fertiliser.
• Powdery mildew or anthracnose: resistance is good, not absolute; provide airflow, avoid drought stress and remove fallen diseased leaves.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although safety information specific to this hybrid is limited. It is an ornamental, not a food plant; eating plant material may cause digestive upset.

• Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa)

  Usually has smaller, more pointed white bracts and often produces conspicuous red, strawberry-like fruits; Venus has exceptionally large bracts and generally little fruit.

• Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

  Usually flowers before or as its leaves emerge, with smaller bracts that have a distinct notch at the tip; Venus flowers later, with foliage already present.

• Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)

  Typically has six white bracts, though the number varies, and can become a much larger tree; Venus normally has four very large bracts.

Cornus comes from the Latin for horn, referring to the hard wood of dogwoods; 'KN30-8' is the cultivar denomination sold under the name Venus.

Propagation. Usually propagated commercially by budding or grafting onto compatible dogwood rootstocks. Seed is scarce and will not reliably reproduce the cultivar; check any applicable propagation rights before multiplying named plants.

Accepted botanical name

Cornus

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