Cornus kousa chinensis 'China Girl'Kousa dogwood

It grows at first as a vigorous shrub, progressively forming a small tree, often multi-stem. The crown takes on a broad, open vase shape, becoming more rounded and dense with age. It can reach approximately 6 to 8 metres in height and a similar spread.

In late spring and early summer, the small yellowish-green flowers appear surrounded by four large bracts. Greenish at first, these quickly turn creamy white and overlap slightly at the base. Unlike some varieties, they keep their pale tone throughout flowering, creating a uniform white composition over the crown.

The leaves are oval, slightly wavy and dark green, with a blue-green underside. In late summer, numerous red, rounded fruits form, resembling small strawberries. In autumn, the foliage takes on intense tones of red, orange and purple.

The grey bark begins to flake slightly on mature specimens, adding texture during the winter. It grows best in sun or partial shade, in fertile, moist, well-drained soils rich in organic matter, preferably acidic to neutral.

It is suited to gardens, parks, large courtyards and compositions where it can be used on its own as a focal point. The mature specimens from Diaplant combine an already established architecture with the capacity to produce abundant white flowering, decorative fruits and an expressive autumn transformation from the first years after planting.