Milky Way Kousa Dogwood

This cultivar earned its celestial name from the galaxy of blooms in late spring to early summer. The pointed, white star-shaped bracts measure 3 to 5 inches across and persist for four to six weeks, appearing after the leaves have emerged rather than on bare branches like our native flowering dogwood.

'Milky Way' matures into a broad, bushy specimen reaching 15 to 20 feet tall and equally wide. Young trees grow in an upright, vase-shaped habit before maturing into a more rounded, spreading form with the distinctive horizontal branching that makes kousa dogwoods such elegant silhouettes in the landscape. The leaves are dark green and glossy on top with a blue-green underside, simple and ovate with that characteristic curving venation that parallels the leaf margins. Come autumn, the foliage transitions to shades of orange-red to scarlet—not quite the swirling psychedelic display of our native dogwoods, but a long-lasting show of three to five weeks.

The summer performance comes from the fruit. Large, round, raspberry-like drupes up to an inch in diameter ripen to pinkish-red through late summer and persist into fall, sometimes dangling on the tree after the leaves have dropped. The fruit is technically edible for humans—the inner flesh has a tropical, custard-like consistency with flavor notes reminiscent of persimmon with a bitter rind. As mature specimens age, they develop the exfoliating, mottled tan and gray bark that adds genuine winter interest, a feature worth showing off by selectively thinning lower branches and lighting the tree from beneath.

In the landscape, 'Milky Way' excels as a specimen tree near patios, in lawn settings, or grouped in small plantings for dramatic effect. The strong horizontal branching on mature trees creates beautiful architecture that pairs well with uplighting. Unlike our native flowering dogwood, kousa cultivars tolerate more sun and heat, making them suitable for locations where Cornus florida might struggle—though they still appreciate afternoon shade in the hottest regions and consistent moisture during summer droughts. The tree performs best in humus-rich, well-drained, acidic to neutral soils and shows moderate tolerance for sandy loams.

This cultivar originated at Wayside Gardens in Mentor, Ohio, where it was selected from a seedbed in the 1960s for its exceptional floriferousness [1]. The name was chosen to capture that remarkable abundance of bloom—suggesting the countless flowers were as numerous as stars in our galaxy. 'Milky Way' is classified under the Chinese variety (var. chinensis), which is noted for having slightly larger flower bracts and leaves compared to the Japanese type. It remains one of the most widely recognized and commercially popular kousa cultivars after more than half a century in the trade.

One of the primary reasons gardeners turn to kousa dogwoods is their excellent resistance to dogwood anthracnose—the devastating fungal disease that has decimated populations of our native flowering dogwood throughout the eastern United States. Ironically, research strongly suggests the disease was introduced to North America along with imported kousa dogwoods, which had evolved resistance in their native range [2]. While kousa's disease resistance is a genuine advantage, it comes with significant ecological trade-offs that deserve honest acknowledgment.

Regarding wildlife value, the picture is complicated. The genus Cornus does support specialized native bees including Andrena fragilis, Andrena integra, and Andrena platyparia, and NC State Extension notes that fruits and nesting sites are attractive to songbirds [3]. However, as Doug Tallamy and other researchers emphasize, kousa dogwood provides substantially less ecological value than our native species. While Cornus florida supports an estimated 117 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) whose caterpillars serve as essential bird food, kousa dogwood supports effectively none in North America—the insects simply haven't evolved to use this Asian species as a host plant [2]. The large fruits, which evolved for dispersal by primates in Asia, are often ignored by North American wildlife; observations frequently note that birds and squirrels leave them untouched while native dogwood berries are devoured within days of ripening [2]. Some regional variation exists—NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden note that birds do consume the fruit in certain areas—but the overall ecological contribution is markedly reduced compared to native alternatives.

For gardeners in areas where dogwood anthracnose makes growing native Cornus florida difficult, 'Milky Way' offers undeniable ornamental beauty with reasonable disease resistance. Just understand that you're gaining a stunning four-season ornamental tree while trading away much of the wildlife support network our native dogwoods provide. If your landscape has room for both, consider pairing kousa selections with native perennial varieties like the North American redbud

Sources:
[1] Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, 6th ed., 2009.
[2] Doug Tallamy, entomologist, University of Delaware
[3] NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Cornus kousa

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