The strong horizontal branches of the dogwood outside my window looked like an abstract Christmas tree, coated as they were with heavy, white snow ... and Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa).

A 'Snow Tower' Kousa dogwood has been added as they are noted for excellent resistance to dogwood anthracnose which is plaguing our native dogwoods throughout town. And lastly a Japanese stewartia ...

While as many as 60 species of trees and shrubs are in the genus Cornus, the most common locally are our native flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) and the nonnative kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa).