Evergreen dogwood (Cornus capitata)

Features and Characteristics

Cornus capitata is an evergreen to semi-evergreen tree or shrub that is native to the Himalayas, northern India and China. As a tree, it typically grows to 20-40’ tall. Ovate to lanceolate, evergreen leaves (to 4-5” long) are leathery and rough to the touch. Leaves are dark green above and gray-green below. Some older leaves turn purplish or reddish tones in fall, eventually dropping in spring as new growth appears. This dogwood is not considered to be reliably evergreen because its foliage may drop in cold winters in the colder areas of its growing region. Flowers bloom in late spring to early summer (June-July). The showy parts of the dogwood “flower” are the four (infrequently – , pointed, petal-like, bracts (each to 5” x 0”) that surround a center cluster of insignificant, greenish-white, true flowers. Bracts are creamy white to pale yellow. Flowers are followed by fleshy, edible, strawberry-like berries that ripen in clusters in fall. In addition to being a good food source for birds, the fruit is also ornamentally attractive.

Genus name comes from the Latin word cornus meaning “horn”, possibly in reference to the strength and density of the wood. Cornus is also the Latin name for cornelian cherry (Cornus mas). May also be related to the Greek kerasos meaning “cherry”.

Specific epithet comes from the Latin word caput meaning head in reference to the mounding flowers and fruits.

This dogwood is also commonly called Himalayan strawberry tree in reference to the fruits.