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shrub layer

kousa dogwood

cornus kousa

creamy star bracts give way to knobbly raspberry-red fruit with a soft, sweet custard flesh — an ornamental that quietly feeds you and the birds.

functions

food cropwildlife habitatpollinator forage

light

part shade

moisture

moderate

soil

rich, humus-heavy loam

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grower's notes

members

propagation, guild role, and deeper ecology for kousa dogwood — the members' view.

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the takeaway

start a guild around kousa dogwood

plant these together and the relationships on this page start working for you — feeders, protectors, and cover, layer by layer.

shrub
kousa dogwood — the anchor
groundcover
sweet woodruff