Name: Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’ aka pink kousa dogwood
Type of Plant: relatively small tree (12 to 20 feet tall and wide) for full sun or part sun. Hardy in zones 5~8.
Why I love this: Kousa dogwoods start off as an upright, vase shaped tree and later they mature into a more rounded, form with horizontal branching. ‘Satomi’ has pink flowers in early summer, red fruit in late-summer, and foliage that ranges from reddish-purple to purplish-green in the fall. There are no serious insect or disease problems with this tree, and it likes organically rich but well drained soils. Kousa dogwoods also do well when watered deeply once a week in times of drought.
A Word to the Wise: Don’t let the upright form of the young tree fool you into thinking that this is a good plant for putting close to the house. Place the trunk at least ten feet from a building so that when the plant matures the spreading branches won’t be a problem.
My pink kousa dogwood is young and only about eight feet high. Since it’s not yet very large or mature it is more narrow than it will be once it’s older.
The flowers are a lovely mix of white and pink. A very pretty variety of a lovely tree.
