Illustration
Milky Way Kousa
Cornus kousa 'Milky Way'
Milky Way Kousa blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Milky Way Kousa
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Expect it to reach about 20 ft tall and 20 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 12 years (not yet checked).
What this means
Written with AI assistance and not yet checked plant by plant against recorded sources, so treat every fact above as a starting point. Its scientific name was checked against botanical registries, an audit keeps its values consistent with the rest of the library, and a July 2026 review re-read the main facts of every plant then in the library against horticultural authorities without recording a source for each, which is why none of that counts as checked here. The source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open, and a checked plant says so in this row.
When to plant Milky Way Kousa
Plant Milky Way Kousa in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Milky Way Kousa get?
20 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult20 ftwideSee Milky Way Kousa in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Milky Way Kousa
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give Milky Way Kousa about 20 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add Milky Way Kousa to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Good to know about Milky Way Kousa
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
The bitter red fruit is not for eating; USDA calls it poisonous to humans, though ASPCA does not list it as toxic to dogs or cats. per USDA and ASPCA
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Foliage
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.