Found several dogwoods loaded with fruit. Could not resist a chance to try one and was surprised. They are actually pretty tasty with a peach taste to them. The downfall seems to be their pingpong ball size and skins. These are worth putting in as a novelty though.
Does anyone know of any varieties with large fruit?
There is at least one C.kousa selection made for fruit size, āBig Appleāā¦but Iāve never seen it offered from any nursery Iām familiar with.
Flavor wise the fruit of kousa species is quite variable from inedible to something you would want to have in your yard to eat. Worth stopping to sample especially if you see many trees at one location like an entrance to a business that lined the street with them. Unfortunately the birds pick the best tasting ones too so they donāt last long on the tree.
I ran across a 5 gallon āBig Appleā at a wholesale nursery in Virginia a few years ago. It was late summer and the leaves had been infected some type of disease so I passed on it.
Cornus kousa,
cornus Augustata
cornus mas
Are all edible, and some are even tasty. A ripe Kousa fruit is some like a persimmon and little astringency.
Agreed that kousa fruit vary quite a bit from tree to tree in flavor, texture, sweetness, & seediness. Iāve tried some from one tree that were very sweet, orange-colored pulp, and peachy tasting. Another tree with fruit of reddish pulp, less sweet, and with a berry-like flavor. Some have very gritty pulp, others donāt.
I think thereās some good potential for decent fruit if they were actually bred or selected for fruit quality rather than ornamental qualities. Size, low seediness, and low grittiness would be important factors.
I agree. If someone was able to increase the size without seeds they would be good. The ones I tried had red outside, orange inside, and a nice peach like taste. Unfortunately it was like trying to peal a hard boiled egg that refused to peel.
Cornus kousa āTeutoniaā supposedly has quite large fruit. I want to plant one as part of a hedge at some point
This reminds me of Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo). Similar variability. Some taste like wallpaper paste, others are good.