Cornus kousa var. chinensis 'China Girl' is a real statement species, with architectural, horizontally layered branches. It is an early flowering form of Cornus kousa var chinensis.
Cornus China Girl is at its most striking in June, when the branches are topped by profuse, upward-facing white flowers that resemble a thick covering of snow. The variety is deciduous, with intense autumn colour as the leaves turn red and orange before dropping.
Dogwoods are best left unpruned as their natural shape is very striking. They are an ideal species for a low maintenance garden, as they respond best to no pruning at all. From a garden design point of view, they are best positioned where the structure can be admired from a distance in the summer months, for example as a specimen shrub in the middle of a lawn or at the back of a deep herbaceous border.
The quality of flowering in any given year is somewhat dependent on the previous summer’s weather. Long hot summers lead to very profuse flowering the following year.
Cornus China Girl is fairly easy to grow, tolerating a range of soil and situation. It will tolerate dry soil only once established, but requires watering before this. It does not tolerate shallow chalk well. It particularly thrives in fertile, well drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Final size in 20 to 50 years is 4m to 8m tall and 4m to 8m wide. The species is hardy in almost all parts of the UK, down to -15°C and prefers full sun or partial shade.
Common Name: Cornus China Girl
Latin Name: Cornus kousa var. chinensis 'China Girl'
Special features: Large, freely produced flowers, with showy white bracts facing upwards from horizontally layered branches. Flowers are followed by brightly coloured fruits resembling strawberries. Intense autumn colour.
