Cornus kousa are native to East Asia including Korea, China and Japan and have been widely cultivated as an ornamental trees, with many different varieties and cultivars having been developed, especially in the USA. In spring the sheer impact of these beautiful trees is almost without peer. They are worthy contenders for a position in any garden, large or small. Cornus kousa Celestial Shadow arose as a mutation of Cornus florida x Cornus kousa 'Celestial'. It has good disease resistance but is sterile so cannot produce fruit. A lovely slow growing, large shrub, producing large white flowers in spring, wreathed along the tops of the branches. The leaves are a lovely dark green with a very distinct yellow edge and in autumn they turn to amazing rich oranges and reds. A truly beautiful spectacle! Its slow growing and compact habit make it ideal for the smaller garden and it is often grown in a pot. Easy to grow in a full sun or semi shade location, in a fertile, moist, acidic to neutral soil. These will not thrive in chalky soils. In pots use a good quality ericaceous John Innes compost as this plant will be there a long time and peaty types of compost eventually degrade, become too packed and choke the roots. Ensure you feed regularly as a hungry plant is a poor performer. We recommend Osmoscote pro 8-9 month applied in the early spring. One application gives all the nutrients the plant requires for the whole year. John Innes is a soils based compost. Deer resistant. These plants are grafted to ensure a good quality and long lived plant.