Chinese Dogwood China Girl

A beautiful, Dutch-bred cultivar of the Chinese dogwood, Cornus kousa var. chinensis China Girl is a small, slow-growing, deciduous tree with tiered branches, giving a graceful, architectural effect even in winter. The deep green, oval leaves turn brilliant shades of red and orange in autumn. In June, especially after a hot preceding summer, the tree is covered with a spectacular display of upward facing flowers, formed of four, creamy-yellow bracts surrounding a green boss of the true flowers. These are followed by bright red, strawberry-like (but inedible) fruits. A lovely tree for the smaller garden, good as a lawn specimen. Best left unpruned, Chinese dogwood China Girls holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any well-drained, reasonably moist soil; dislikes very alkaline soil
Position: Full sun, partial shade
Season of interest: All year, early summer to autumn in particular
Hardiness: Fully hardy (to -15ºC)
Height: 13’ (4m) Spread: 10’ (3m) in 20 years, eventually 26’x26’ (8mx8m)