Get ready to alter your mindset with ‘Summer Gold’ Chinese (kousa) dogwood (Cornus kousa) (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Its diminutive size, 8 to 10 feet high and 4 to 5 feet wide, makes it a great fit for a small city garden. Branching is distinctly upright, which partially accounts for its narrow space needs.

‘Summer Gold’ exhibits dark green leaves with a wide golden edge. The green leaf portion turns a medium red in the fall. As the tree ages, the bark on the trunk and main branches flakes off, forming a patchy or mosaic pattern.

Masses of creamy white pointed bracted flowers cover this small tree in early spring, opening after 2-3 weeks after flowering dogwood (C. florida) has finished blooming. Spring flowers and late summer fleshy fruits attract butterflies and birds respectively. Deer do not bother kousa dogwood unless their populations are unusually high or their natural food supply is lacking.

Kousa grows best in well-drained soils with adequate moisture. Irrigate weekly the two years to develop a deep, extensive root system that will support the small tree. In general, kousa dogwood usually does not need feeding its first year. Thereafter, supply a handful or two of granular 10-10-10 or equivalent fertilizer in late winter.

Newly-planted trees are both heat and drought susceptible and should be irrigated the first two years after planting. Cooling the soil by watering helps. Irrigate weekly from mid-June thru early September when summer temps are consistently in the 90’s and rainfall amounts are deficient.

Generally, kousa dogwood requires very little annual pruning. Control tree shape as needed and prune off unwanted shoot and root suckers, particularly those near the graft union (swollen area on trunk near ground surface).