Flowering Dogwood or Kousa Dogwood?

[tsouzee]

Hello all. First post here. I really like this tree and would like to plant one of my own. This tree is located in New York, NY. I can't tell if it's a kousa dogwood or flowering dogwood? I took some closeups to see if anyone can help. Thanks very much.





  

 

 

 

 

 

[Old Greenhorn]

Well looking at the bark and the points on the flower petals I would say it's a kousa dogwood also called Japanese dogwood. I don't think the flowering dogwood has those petal points and the bark looks quite different. Welcome to the forum. Let's see what @WDH says. I know the photo is from NYC, but where are you located?

[WDH]

It is not the native flowering dogwood.  It is the kousa dogwood.

Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet

[tsouzee]

^^^ Thank you both. I kept going back and forth and just couldn’t tell. I’m also in NY. I need to research which one will do better in full sun. Thanks so much.

[kantuckid]

Wild dogwoods are plentiful near me and I see them flourish in the sun when driving. As a side note, I had a Red dogwood that grew in our deep woods for years then died away. Never saw a flower on it.
You might also look at the many Viburnums which some sort of resemble a White Dogwood when I drive through WV, they're seen often growing wild. 
Our yard Dogwood is a Cherokee that gets around 6 hours mid-day sun.

[WDH]

In the wild, the native flowering dogwood is a shade tolerant understory species.  

[tsouzee]

Wild dogwoods are plentiful near me and I see them flourish in the sun when driving. As a side note, I had a Red dogwood that grew in our deep woods for years then died away. Never saw a flower on it.
You might also look at the many Viburnums which some sort of resemble a White Dogwood when I drive through WV, they're seen often growing wild.
Our yard Dogwood is a Cherokee that gets around 6 hours mid-day sun.

Thanks for the recommendation on Viburnums. I'll look into them more. Looks like there are many options in that species. 

[Larry]

Now that flowers are gone for the year I can only identify the real dogwoods by the bark.....woof woof!

[rusticretreater]

The Flowering Dogwood is the state tree of Virginia.  The Blossom of the Flowering Dogwood is the state flower.  You will see them in the woods in the spring with their white flowers as you drive along the roads. Their bark is quite different from the bark shown in your picture.

The fruit of the Flowering Dogwood is quite different from the Kousa Dogwood. Flowering Dogwoods grow a cluster 3-5 oblong shiny darker red fruits.  The Kousa has a much bigger,  pink/red round fruit that hangs on a 1-1 1/2 inch stalk.