When to plant and prune Kousa Dogwood
Kousa Dogwood flowers from late May to late June and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Kousa Dogwood is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| East Anglia | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Northern England | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late December | late May to late June | mid November to late February |
Growing notes
Grown for the white or pink bracts in June, which last for weeks, followed by good crimson autumn colour. Slow to settle and needs shelter from cold spring winds and soil that does not dry out.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 300 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 500 cm
- Eventual spread
- 300 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 90 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Feeding
Mulch annually; feed only on poor soil, in spring, after the first year.
Pruning: what to avoid
Resist shaping it. The horizontal, tiered branch structure is the reason to grow it and it does not regrow gracefully from hard cuts, so limit yourself to dead or crossing wood in winter.
Pruning group
Minimal pruning while dormant; it naturally builds tiered branches, so leave it alone
What usually goes wrong
- slow establishment
- scorched leaf margins in drought or wind
- poor performance on chalk
- late frost damage to young growth
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for kousa dogwood.