Cornus capitata var. angustata = C. angustata

Cornus capitata var. capitata
ht: 50-80 ft.
ha: spreading to subglobose, eventually a large tree where hardy, shrubby in colder zones,
ha: commonly wider than high.
ld: evergreen where fully hardy
lc: dull olive green above, grayish-green below. Turns orange to yellow shades
lc: in some climates in fall and winter.
lt: blades often drooping, relaxed at the least
ls: narrowly to broadly elliptic
ll, lw: 2.0-5.0 in. long x 1.5-2.0 in. wide
lv: new foliage with small appressed hairs, rough on touch, grayish as a result.
fc: cream to light yellow bracts, fading with pink to mauve tints.
ft: inflor. with 4, sometimes 6 bracts, these being obovate, the bracts elegantly arching
ft: and cupped with a distinct tip.
fd: bracts 1.5-2.0 in. long x 0.75-1.5 in. wide
bt: June to July, summer in general
bq: Bean reports it would survive on a wall at Kew but never flowering. It is quite floriferous
bq: where it will take open ground such as USD 8-9.
infl: dome-liked or mounded cluster of flowers. Named capitata=head.
frc: bright red
frd: berries 0.75-1.25 in. long, fused in large strawberry-like clusters, fleshy, edible even if seedy. They
frd: remind one of C. kousa since most of us saw that one fruit first.
ch: USDA 7b with protection, 8-10 is best. Hardiness varies with seedlings, so selection is
ch: welcome for zones 7-9. Hybrids to C. kousa give better hardiness as do some C. angustata clones.
geo: Indochina, Himalayas, commonly introduced from Nepal.
in: England 1825, US trade via CA 1870's

var. emeiensis  - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring 2003. A very different look for a dogwood, at least to northern US eyes.

var. emeiensis  - click image
Same plant as above but December 12, 2004,showing it's true evergreen resiliency. Note the few secondary
veins compared to most deciduous taxa. Twigs are greyish-purple and petioles a nice dark red sometimes
carrying the pigments over into the reddish-yellow midrib. This example lacks red winter tints on the main blades
as with SUMMER PASSION shown below.

Cornus capitata var. emeiensis (Fang & Hsieh) Q.Y. Xiang
lc: as seen at the Raulston Arboretum, new growth is a pleasant glossy orange or orange tinged. Others
lc: are said to be more orange-red, copper, or red. One clone SUMMER PASSION is quite purplish.
geo: Mt. Emei, Szechwan, China

SUMMER PASSION™ - click image
Culberson Asiatic Arboretum, Duke Gardens, Durham NC. December 13, 2004. This shot was taken the day
after the second one of the variety at the Raulston Arboretum just 30 minutes away. Since this clone has purple
to red new growth and other examples are light orange, we suspect it has more anthocyanins in the genetic formula.
The fact that the Raulston plant is nice uniform green and the Duke SUMMER PASSION is heavily tinged red
and purple in the sun-exposed blades confirms that hypothesis. Red spring, summer, and winter.

Cornus capitata var. emeiensis SUMMER PASSION™
lc: new growth purplish to brownish-red - Jacobsen says "liver-colored". It is certainly not
lc: the copper or orange shades seen elsewhere. See photo above.
in: PIroche Plants, BC Canada c. 1993
li: Jacobsen, A.L. North Amer. Land. Trees. Tenspeed Press p. 136.

Cornus capitata MOUNTAIN MOON™
in: Piroche Plants, BC Canada c. 1992
li: Jacobsen, A.L. North Amer. Land. Trees. Tenspeed Press p. 136.

Cornus capitata 'Ragdoll' (12/4)
lc: dark olive-green, irregularly margined light yellow, some submarginal
lc: variations in chimera depth are visible, occasional sectors to the midrib.
li: Houtman, R. 2004. Variegated trees and shrubs: an ill. encyclop. Timber Press p. 93,
li: with color photo.

Cornus capitata x Cornus kousa = hybrids include 'Norman Hadden' and 'Porlock'