Elizabeth Lustgarten Weeping Kousa Dogwood
Cornus kousa ‘Elizabeth Lustgarten’
Other Names: Weeping Japanese Dogwood, Weeping Chinese Dogwood
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-8b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Tree
Height at Maturity: 15-20′
Width at Maturity: 12-18′
Spacing: 10′ or more from home, structures, and other trees
Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Weeping
Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
Flower Color: White; sometimes developing Pink shades as they age
Flower Size: Large, 4-5″ in diameter
Flowering Period: Late Spring
Flower Type: Single, 4-petaled
Fragrant Flowers: –
Foliage Color: Dark Green; Vibrant Red in fall
Fragrant Foliage: –
Berries: Strawberry-like Red berries
Sun Needs: Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered or Dappled Sun
Water Needs: Average, Low when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy, Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained
Soil pH: 5.5 – 6.5 (Acidic to Moderately Acid)
Maintenance / Care: Very Low Maintenance, if any, when left in its natural form
Attracts: Visual Attention, Songbirds
Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Heat, Insects
Description
If you’ve been afraid to plant a Dogwood tree for fear of disease and/or borer problems, fear not. The dependable Cornus kousa varieties are resistant to both disease and borers. ‘Elizabeth Lustgarten’ is a beautiful, vigorous, and floriferous weeping selection. She reaches approximately 15 to 20 feet tall and 12 to 18 feet wide, with gracefully arching and weeping branches clothed in lustrous, dark green leaves that turn to vibrant shades of red in the fall, holding their color much longer than native dogwoods. In late spring, she features a plethora of large, 4 to 5-inch-diameter, 4-petaled, star-shaped flowers with white, pointed petals that nearly cover the foliage on mature trees. The flowers are followed by numerous clusters of strawberry-like fruits that mature to a red color in summer, persisting through fall. Kousa dogwoods will tolerate more sun than our native species, but we still believe they look their best in a partially shaded environment with some filtered sun or shade during the afternoon.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 15 to 20 feet tall and 12 to 18 feet wide, the Elizabeth Lustgarten Weeping Dogwood is ideal for use as a specimen or in spaced groupings at 20 or more feet apart in sunny or shady landscape or woodland borders. It is also lovely framing the corners of homes or to provide beauty around patios, porches, and other outdoor living spaces. It is a fine addition to woodland gardens, white-themed gardens, Asian-themed gardens, wildlife gardens, and cottage gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 20 or more feet apart for space between trees
Growing Preferences
Dogwood trees are adaptable to a wide range of soil types; however, they prefer moist, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Although Dogwood trees can tolerate full sun, we believe they look and perform best with some shade or filtered sunlight during the hottest part of summer afternoons. Constantly soggy or wet soils are problematic. Maintenance is minimal to none. Except to remove a stray or broken branch, no pruning is necessary.
Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop computer monitors or below on mobile devices.
Plant Long & Prosper!
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