Would a Cornus Kousa suit my front garden?

[geojellyfish]

I have a small and exposed SE-facing new build front garden in the South West. As we're atop a hill it can be very windy at times.

I dream of having a smallish variety of Cornus Kousa to replace a rather pathetic and poorly establishing witch hazel (Jelena) that was planted by the site's developers a couple of years ago.

However, it would need to be planted approximately 3m from the house and I know dogwoods can be wide spreading. I also read conflicting things about its wind and sun tolerance.

Please can anyone share their wisdom, experiences or recommendations?

I love Cornus Kousa!

Whether it would be suitable for your garden ....a few things to think about.
It doesn't tolerate chalk soils,
It can be tricky on a windy, exposed site because the wide spreading branches can break off.
It develops quite a heavy canopy - would it block light to your house? Would it overly dominate your small garden making it seem unbalanced? It can be pruned lightly to keep it in a good shape but not really to keep the overall size smaller.
It can take years to flower - are you happy to wait for this?

My instinct on an exposed small site, would be to choose something easier to grow and keep in check, more tolerant of the conditions you experience.

I would also say that the witch hazel you already have will look pathetic because it's only been there for two years, which is minimal for tree growth. It will still be establishing itself. If you are a novice gardener it is hard to appreciate how long a tree takes to establish and start to look attractive.
It is an ideal tree for the site, a beautiful variety and robust. If you give it a chance and have patience with it to show what it can do, in 4 or 5 years you might well find you have the beginnings of lovely easy care tree with a glorious autumn winter display and perfume.

I agree with the above. It doesn’t sound like you’ve got enough space for a Cornus Kousa. Give the witch Hazel time.

I thought Cornus Kousa needs acid soil ? I’d keep the witch Hazel.