Chinese evergreen dogwood is an evergreen perennial native to China. This small flowering tree or shrub with excellent fall color is in the dogwood family (Cornaceae) family. The species epithet is Latin for “having a head” and refers to the flowers that are borne in dense heads. The subspecies epithet is Latin for “narrow” and refers to the leaves. Chinese evergreen dogwood prefers full sun to partial shade in organically rich moist well-drained soils. The tree will grow 12 to 20 feet tall and wide and is evergreen in zones 7 and up. It has attractive thick leathery leaves and blooms profusely from May to June with long-lasting flowers covering the tree. Like the flowering dogwood ( Cornus florida ), this species has heads of small, greenish-yellow flowers surrounded by four, large, showy bracts. This dogwood blooms later in the season than the native dogwoods and helps to extend the bloom season of dogwood trees. Use this plant as a specimen, an understory tree or in small groups in the yard. It would work well in a shady woodland garden or an Asian garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : The Chinese evergreen dogwood has no serious insects or disease problems. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Cornus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Multi-trunked
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Shiny green thick leathery leaves up to 3 inches long. Hairs are present on the undersides. New growth has reddish hints and fall color is reddish to purplish. Margins may curl under.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender
Flower color
White
Flower value
Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
The 4 pointed white bracts, up to 2 inches long, surround the insignificant true flowers that are yellowish-green. Bloom time is late May into June.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Berry-like round fruits form in the center and are red at maturity. They are technically edible but are best left to the birds.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Bark grey or greyish brown
Stem color
Gray/Silver; Green
Stem detail
Branchlets gray-green with white hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China
Wildlife value
Birds will eat the fruits
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Fruits are technically edible but are better left to the birds
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Shade Garden
Design feature
Small groups; Small Tree; Specimen; Understory Tree
Garden tags
#flowering tree #small tree #fall interest #evergreen #understory tree #showy flowers #specimen #white flowers #long-lasting flowers #landscape plant sleuths course #bird friendly #hortcontest #small groups #HS304
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Dogwood Borer; Dogwood Twig Borer; Dogwood Sawfly; Insect Pests of Dogwood in North Carolina; Pests of Dogwood