The Urban Pantheist

Photos by urbpan. Location: Brookline, by Beaconsfield station.

Urban species #299: Kousa dogwood Cornus kousa

Kousa dogwood is a small, exotic-looking tree, often planted in urban lawns. It is native to east Asia, and is sometimes called Korean dogwood or Japanese dogwood. Its flowers appear later than those of "flowering" dogwood, and the four petal-like bracts come to sharp points, giving the flower an appearance similar to a pinwheel. When the flower has performed its purpose, a berry-like fruit develops. Some authorities believe that the fruit evolved to be dispersed by monkey; they are edible for humans, as well. Reports are consistently unenthusiastic, and frequently mention the fruit's "mealy" texture. Squirrels make up for the lack of primate attention to the tree. Some birds will take the fruits as well, though since they are large and unwieldy, compared to the fruits of Cornus florida, birds will more often feed on fallen Kousa fruits than pick them from the tree. The fruit's relatively late arrival mean that overwintering birds benefit more than migratory birds. Kousa dogwood is hardier than flowering dogwood, resisting cold and disease better. Some authorities predict that kousa may eventually outnumber florida, or even hybridize with it, causing the weaker native tree's demise.



Readers' photos of the tree in flower are especially welcome!