Chinese dogwood

Also known as Cornus kousa, this tree comes into its own in June. In early summer, what look like cream flowers appear, covering the tree, and last for several weeks. But these are actually beautiful bracts that surround clusters of small white flowers. They’re followed by strawberry-like deep pink fruit and the oval leaves turn reddish-purple in autumn. There is a wide variety of cultivars to choose from, such as C ‘Mandarin Jewel’ which has unusual orange fruit and C ‘Venus’ with its huge bracts. Its ultimate height is 6m, so a great tree for a small garden.