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Kousa Dogwood Bark Flaking: A Normal, Ornamental Feature

The bark is peeling off my dogwood, but the tree looks healthy. I see only tiny ants. It blooms white 2–3 weeks after other dogwoods. Should I worry?

No Concern—It's a Kousa Dogwood

You have a Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa), native to Asia. Unlike our native dogwoods, Kousa bark naturally exfoliates (flakes off) to reveal a contrasting underbark. This is a normal, ornamental characteristic, not a disease or pest issue.

See images: kousa dogwood | kousa dogwood flower

kousa dogwood

kousa dogwood flower

About Gardening: Young Dogwood Decline: Borers, Transplant Shock, and Trimmer Damage; Bark Stripped Off Post Oak by Kids: Will the Tree Survive?; Dogwood Bark Peeling at Base: Normal Maturation; Kousa Dogwood Transplant Shock Recovery; Cornus kousa – Kousa Dogwood, Disease-Resistant Asian Species; Kousa Dogwood: The Ideal Small-Space Ornamental Tree; 'Wolf Eyes' Kousa Dogwood: Leaf Curl in Full Sun Is Normal; Kousa Dogwood: The May-Blooming Asian Beauty; Orange Slime on Dogwood: Yeast Growth on Sap, Not Disease; Kousa Dogwood: Edible Fruit and Disease Resistance

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Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)

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