Why Plant Samaritan® Variegated Japanese Dogwood?
Samaritan® Variegated Kousa Dogwood will beautify your landscape year-round. In late spring, your Samaritan® Kousa Dogwood will erupt in a shower of star-shaped white flowers, almost hiding the striking green and white variegated leaves. Summer brings interesting, cherry-sized red fruits, free for the snacking—they taste like papaya! In autumn, you’ll be treated to a show of purple and pink fall foliage, and in winter, the exfoliating patchwork bark takes center stage. There’s simply no “off-season”with this eager-to-please tree!
Japanese “Kousa” Dogwoods made their debut in America in the 1870s, after the U.S. had strong-armed Japan into at last opening its trade borders (after more than 200 years of isolationism). In 1907, famous plant explorer E.H. Wilson journeyed to China on behalf of the Arnold Arboretum and discovered another population of Kousas growing there. Samaritan® is a descendant of that Chinese strain of Kousa Dogwoods. This variegated selection was developed recently at Lake County Nursery (you’ll see that name on a lot of popular trees!) of Perry, Ohio.
How to use Samaritan® Variegated Japanese Dogwood in the landscape?
Now this is one good Samaritan! Plant it in a prominent place near your front door or back patio, so you won’t miss a moment of this flashy small tree’s progression through the seasons. A beautifully variegated Japanese Dogwood that is disease resistant. Creamy-white variegated foliage covers this tree. White flower bracts appear in spring, later followed by red fleshy fruit and reddish-purple foliage in fall. This awesome Dogwood has a vase-shaped habit and is relatively care-free. You just can't go wrong!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-7
How To Plant Samaritan® Variegated Japanese Dogwood
Samaritan® Variegated Kousa Dogwood is an uncommon tree, which is surprising, given how easy it is to please and how much it has to offer. This naturally disease-resistant tree enjoys a site in part shade and wants regular irrigation but no “wet feet". It has a preference for acid soils, so if rhododendrons and azaleas grow well in your area, this is definitely the tree for you (though it’s adaptable to other situations, too).
How To Water
After planting, water your new Samaritan® Variegated Kousa Dogwood slowly, deeply, and thoroughly. Water your tree every four to five days, allowing time for the tree to dry down as they prefer.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
As your tree grows, you’ll probably want to remove the lowermost branches to show off that amazing jigsaw-puzzle bark! Pruning is best done shortly after the flowers are spent.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
