Cornus x kousa ‘KN30-8’, Cornus x kousa ‘Venus’ – Venus® Dogwood

Botanical Name: Cornus x kousa ‘KN30-8’, Cornus x kousa ‘Venus’

Alternate Name: Venus® Kousa Dogwood

The Venus® Dogwood (Cornus x kousa ‘Venus’) is a beautiful, spring-blooming, ornamental dogwood with a profusion of very large, white flowers. It is a vigorous, small deciduous tree with a dense and spreading, low-growing habit. Venus® grows to a height of 14-18 feet tall and 18-24 feet wide – which means this tree grows wider than it is tall.

This dogwood is a cross between Cornus kousa ‘Chinensis’ x Cornus nuttallii ‘Goldspot‘ x Cornus kousa ‘Rosea’. It’s a cross between the Native Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) found growing in the Pacific Northwest and the Chinese/Korean Dogwood. The hybrid was developed for Rutgers University as part of the dogwood Jersey Star® series by Elwin R. Orton, Jr.

The flowers are made up of four white bracts that curve over forming a cup shape. The true flowers that are found at the center are insignificant and yellowish-green in color. The bract ‘flowers’ measure 6 inches in diameter.

In the fall, the Venus® Dogwood develops red berries that look similar to a strawberry. These berries attract birds to the tree. If any berries are left, they will persist on the tree into the winter. Venus® produces dense growth. The leaves are glossy and dark green. The foliage turns a bright red in the fall.

No serious insect or disease problems. Venus® Dogwood has excellent resistance to anthracnose and powdery mildew. It can become susceptible to dogwood borers when stressed. Leaf scorch can occur in hot and windy locations.