Cornus kousa 'GOLD STAR' Japanese flowering dogwood
Cornus
Cornus is a genus that botanists rightly regard as true aristocracy among woody plants. It comprises approximately 50–60 species of trees and shrubs distributed mainly across the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with centres of diversity in East Asia and North America. Fossil records confirm its presence as early as the Tertiary period, and the first scientific description of the genus was published by Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) in 1753 in his Species Plantarum. For centuries, dogwoods have accompanied human culture not only as ornamental plants, but also as sources of exceptionally hard timber, medicinal substances and symbolic meaning in folk traditions, where they often represent strength, order and longevity.
Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa) originates from East Asia, where it occurs naturally in Japan, Korea, and parts of China. It was scientifically described in the 19th century based on Asian plant material examined by Henry Fletcher Hance (1827–1886), who published it under the name Cornus kousa. The species was introduced into European and North American botanical collections, and later into nursery production, during the wave of botanical exploration and plant exchange at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was valued primarily for its pronounced seasonal interest, offering ornamental appeal from spring through autumn, and for its edible fruits. Japanese and Chinese botanists studied its variability in the wild and, in the past, described local forms that were treated as two subspecies, ssp. kousa and ssp. chinensis. While some authors regarded ssp. chinensis as a more vigorous, loosely flowering form with larger inflorescences and considered it worthy of formal recognition, modern taxonomy generally prefers to treat the species simply as Cornus kousa, without further infraspecific distinction.
Gold Star is a less known but very attractive variety of Japanese dogwood with variegated foliage. Its leaves are dark green at the margins and bright golden yellow in the centres. Sometimes the leaves may revert to its former green colour. Should this happen remove all branches with reversed foliage to keep the shrub colourful. The leaves are deciduous and gain fantastic shades of burgundy red and purple in autumn. Gold Star bears white flowers in mid spring. In fact, they are flower bracts while true flowers are tiny and gathered in a small sphere surrounded by the bracts. The spheres are about 2-3 cm across and mature into rather nice tasting, edible fruit in late summer.
This variety is very shrubby, making predominantly a wide, prostrate bush. It grows at medium growth rate when young and slows down later as the plant matures. Every dogwood likes acidic soil, rich in organic material, and always moist but well-drained soil. Some gardeners advise planting it in semi-shade to reduce summer sunlight but we do not recommend that. Plant it in full sun and mulch the roots well. In dry spells provide extra watering and thus you can be sure your dogwood will flower profusely and will be richer and healthier. Use of selective fertilizers supporting flowering and leaf colour is advised. Fully hardy to about -29°C (USDA zone 5).
Last update 07-12-2010.
