Originating from the mountains of Asia, the Japanese dogwood (Cornu kousa), this small, compact and graceful tree tolerates the cold, but north of the outlying suburbs of Montreal, its exploration will be quite exotic but hazardous.
Preferring humidity, it grows well in well-drained clay soils.
Its growth is slow, but it has no sensitivity to diseases.
It’s one of the trees valued for its ability to fruit even with limited light. It’s one of the trees valued for its ability to fruit even with limited light.

The illumination comes from its flowers, which transform into edible red balls resembling miniature Chinese lanterns. As fruit harvesting begins in the fall, the leaves join the celebration, turning from dark green to fiery orange-red. The skin of the fruit is tough, and it only requires piercing with the tip of your teeth to suck out a rather soft pulp, especially appreciated for its custard-like texture. The Japanese dogwood ‘Summer Fun’ is self-pollinating. The Japanese dogwood ‘Summer Fun’ is self-pollinating.