As a Certified Arborist, I am well aware that while trees come with many benefits, such as providing wildlife habitat, moderating extreme temperatures, storing carbon and helping to purify soil moisture, there are also negative impacts. Larger species (Flowering Cherry, Acer rubrum) planted in smaller urban lots often damage sidewalks, pavement and underground pipes with their aggressive root systems. Fast-growing trees like Western Hemlock and Black Locust (Robinia) are quite prone to wind breakage, with the falling branches causing property damage. Newly introduced pests such as the Emerald Ash Borer put Fraxinus at risk while summer drought brought on by climate change is also causing stress, making some species more proneto foliar scorch and fungal diseases.
But what if there was a moderate-sized tree (15-25’ tall in urban settings) that was disease resistant, required minimal pruning, was drought tolerant once established and not susceptible to pest and diseases? And if you added the aesthetics of abundant spring flowers in a range of colours from white to deep rose, scarlet to reddish-purple autumn foliage and attractive, edible red fruits would that be enough to pique your interest?
Dogwoods, specifically, those derived from or hybridized with Cornus kousa are the solution here, and the following sampler of ten cultivars will quickly convince you that beautiful, stress-free flowering trees are a real possibility for your garden.
Cornus x ‘Venus’ – If you’re a gardener who needs the showiest flowers then ‘Venus’ is a great choice. This kousa x nuttallii (Pacific Dogwood) hybrid hails from Rutgers University and features massive 6” wide pristine white flower bracts.
(Venus | 📸 Heritage Seedlings)
Cornus x ‘Stellar Pink’ – Another Rutgers University hybrid derived by crossing Cornus kousa and florida. The result is a tree with stunning shell pink bracts that is also sterile, so no fruit to attract the bears if that is a problem in your neighbourhood.
(Stellar Pink | 📸 Heritage Seedlings)
Cornus kousa var. chinensis – The Chinese Dogwood often grows as a multi-stemmed tree that literally smothers itself in starry white bracts that contour the entire canopy. By late summer it will be covered by dangling red strawberry-like fruits that can be made into delicious jams or jellies.
(Cornus kousa var. chinensis | 📸 MK Lascelle)
Cornus kousa ‘Scarlet Fire’ – One of the darkest pink Cornus kousa hybrids with pointed bracts of a deep rose to fuchsia pink that last from 6 to 8 weeks. The new foliage also has a distinct purple tinge, and the autumn leaves are a lovely red hue.
(Scarlett Fire | 📸 Heritage Seedlings)
Cornus kousa ‘Summer Gold’ – Here’s a cultivar that has it all, combining stunning golden-yellow marginal variegation with pure white flower bracts. Fall brings yet another display when the foliage shifts to a purplish red with brilliant pink margins.
(Summer Gold | 📸 Heritage Seedlings)
Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ – This has been my top-selling dogwood tree for about a decade now, much in part to its floriferous nature. The bracts can vary from pale to deep pink depending on cultural conditions, but they are guaranteed to cover most of the tree canopy once mature.
(Satomi | 📸 Mike Lascelle)
Cornus kousa ‘Greensleeves’ – If you are an Alba Garden enthusiast then the creamy-white flower bracts (with green undertones) of this variety make it the perfect feature tree. Bright red edible fruits are borne from late summer into fall and are
nicely accented by the reddish-purple autumn foliage.
(Greensleeves | 📸 MK Lascelle)
Cornus kousa ‘Akatsuki’ – I am having a hard time keeping this variety in stock as supply is quite limited and they are generally purchased ‘sight on seen’. This comes as no surprise given this sport of ‘Satomi’ features white edged pink flower bracts and eye-catching variegated foliage.
(Akatsuki | 📸 Heritage Seedlings)
Cornus kousa ‘Snow Tower’ – An upright columnar form that is useful in smaller urban gardens and features white bracts that often contour the canopy. These are followed by massive bright red fruits that can be considered an ornamental feature in their own right.
(Snow Tower | 📸 MK Lascelle)
Cornus kousa ‘Radiant Rose’ – The glossy dark green foliage emerges with distinct red tints and this variety is actually a bit more cold-hardy than ‘Satomi’. The bright pink flower bracts will darken with age and the autumn colour is an intense brick red.
(Radiant Rose | 📸 Heritage Seedlings)
If any of these varieties caught your eye, then I would encourage you to visit our website where all of them (and a few more) are currently available in our Dogwood preorder!
Copyright 2025 MK Lascelle
