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Project Noah Nature School
Cornus cousa
The Kousa Dogwood[1] (Cornus kousa or Benthamidia kousa) is a small deciduous tree 8–12 m tall, native to eastern Asia. Like most dogwoods, it has opposite, simple leaves, which are 4–10 cm long. The tree is extremely showy when in bloom, but what appear to be four petaled white flowers are actually bracts spread open below the cluster of inconspicuous yellow-green flowers. The blossoms appear in late spring, weeks after the tree leafs out. The Kousa Dogwood is sometimes also called Chinese Dogwood,[2][3] Korean Dogwood,[3] or Japanese Dogwood.[1]
The fruit is a globose pink to red compound berry 2–3 cm diameter, though these berries tend to grow larger towards the end of the season and some berry clusters that do not fall from the tree surpass 4 cm. It is edible, a sweet and delicious addition to the tree's ornamental value. The fruit is sometimes used for making wine.
Thanks Dan, I knew it looked familiar, but has been about 18 years since I last lived ina climate where they grow.
Spotted on Nov 5, 2011
Submitted on Nov 6, 2011
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