Kousas are much later than other dogwoods. Have patience. Mine is at about the same stage as yours.

Jean is right.

Kousa blooms very late - way after the flowering dogwoods. In Virginia, we have a large white-flowered tree in front of a company. It blooms into August. This is not an early spring bloomer.

Thank you, I feel a little hopeful now. I did know it bloomed late but I assumed it should have some leaves by now. Is it normal for new leaves to appear brown?

Here are a couple of pictures, do these buds look alive? No sign of green so far.

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Buds just look very early to me. In a word 'normal', as long as the stems are still green under the bark.

Arktrees

The branches do not look dead at all. I can see vigor dancing right under the bark. It could be the color-hue of your picture.

If you have a chance, read the many Gardenia threads. There is a girl called mersiepoo, she cries, laughs, and talks to her Gardenia. Another poster, Sassi, she peeled open all the buds on her banana plant before it is time for them to open.

It might be wise to ignore your plant.

For what it's worth, it's hard to say for sure from the pictures as they are a little on the blurry side (not criticizing, just stating why), but it looks as though there are a goodly number of "flower buds" on the branch tips, and that you will probable get a nice display if you remain patient.

Arktrees

Thanks for the hopeful words. I think I am having a hard time being patient because I've been to several different nurseries now that have leafed out kousa dogwoods. I keep trying to figure out what the buds should be doing.

I should probably try to take some not so blurry pictures tomorrow.

It's fine.

Some new pictures of the buds. (still a little blurry)
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Here are some examples of some dead brown leaves that emerged. Anyone know why this would happen?
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Still worried, as everything else is nearly completely leafed out. Does this guy really have time to leaf out and flower?? I did do the scratch test, seems to be all green underneath.

The ones in the nurseries were probably shipped in from a warmer part of the country.

I recently bought one with very little sign of leaf. I am hoping to get blooms this year or never mind, just hoping that it will survive.

I've got a kousa that is now about 10 years old, and has NEVER bloomed. I've had some serious talks to it, begged, pleaded, threatened. Last year I beat it with a stick, hoping it would trigger some survival instinct and bloom.

Its nice a green now, and no signs of buds, once again. Very disappointing, but a beautiful tree, about 10' high and 15' across, spreading nicely.

Someone told me it needed another kousa nearby, but how would it know? If they come in male and female, its definitely female because its so obstinate.

dave, I can't believe your tree didn't bloom yet at 10'...that sucks!!!!

Mines is 6' and in it's first year in my garden, now I'm getting worried that I won't have any flowers or have to wait forever to see one.