Cornus capitata
Common name
Strawberry dogwood
Synonyms
Dendrobenthamia capitata
Family
Cornaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Features
Small evergeen tree to about 6 m high. Stems hairy when young, becoming glabrous. Leaves opposite, to about 10 cm long on short petiole. Numerous pale yellow flowers. Fruit almost round 2-4 cm diameter, ripening to red.
Similar taxa
Is often mistaken for Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) but is easily distinguished as C. capitata has opposite leaves lacking teeth, and the fruit is not spiky.
Flowering
December, January
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
March, April
Year naturalised
1922
Origin
Himalayas to W. China
Etymology
capitata: From the Latin capitus ‘head’, with a knob-like head or tip
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: Ogle, C. (Year at time of access): Cornus capitata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/cornus-capitata/ (Date website was queried)