If you are lucky enough to find a kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) you have found my favorite fall forage. Looking a bit much like depictions of the Covid-19 coronavirus, this fruit is ready to eat off the tree in early fall. It is absolutely delicious tasting much like a persimmon or to some a mango.
In my mind there are only two imperfect things about this tree and its fruit. The first is that it is very messy much like a mulberry tree (which I used to have at my prior home). Under the tree are tons of fallen, rotting fruits. And second, is that yellow jackets love the fruit. If you pick when it is warm, you will not be alone.
Picking some today early in the cool morning adjacent to a parking lot, a woman gives me a strange look.
“Have you ever had a kousa dogwood fruit? It is delicious,” I say to her introducing myself and handing her a fruit.
Accepting it, she peers at me quizzically and says, “Am I supposed to eat this now? You are not trying to poison me, are you?”
I smile back, assuring her that there is nothing toxic about this gift. “Just suck out the center and spit out the seeds and skin,” I say popping one into my mouth.
She places it into her mouth and a great smile emerges. “This is delicious. Thank you,” she says. “I have learned something wonderful today.”
I nod and smile back continuing to pick more fruits to bring home to enjoy.
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As you know, I have a lovely kousa tree on my CT place. I snacked on dozens and
dozens of its fruits in the last two months, I really relish the flavor, akin to mangos. My neighbors were puzzled. But that’s okay, they always are like that.