Giant Dogwood

Cornus controversa

Native to:
China, Hainan, India, Japan, Korea, Kuril Is., Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Taiwan, Vietnam

📍 View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Cornaceae
Genus:
Cornus
Species:
Cornus controversa
USDA Symbol:
COCO32

Growth Characteristics

Height:
1500 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
may,jun
Bloom Colors:
white, cream

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
birds, butterflies
Fall Color:
red, purple

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–120 days
Germination Time:
30–180 days
Notes:
Requires warm stratification followed by cold stratification; germination can be erratic and slow.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI