Bloomipedia
American smoketree (Cotinus obovatus)
Photo: Joseph Aubert via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flowering tree

American smoketree

Cotinus obovatus

American smoketree (Cotinus obovatus) is a tree in the Anacardiaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

🌷 Flowering treeNative in the lower 48

American smoketree is a popular flowering tree. It's on our flower lists for 35 states.

8states where USDA records it
35Bloomipedia state lists include it
838U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 23, 2026. Our state lists also include states where people grow it in gardens, so they can outnumber USDA's wild-plant records. Planted garden trees are mostly excluded from research grade.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

Quick look

Cotinus obovatus syn. C. americanus, the American smoketree, chittamwood or American smokewood, is a rare species of flowering plant in the genus Cotinus of the family Anacardiaceae, native to scattered locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. It is a deciduous, conical shrub growing to 10 m (33 ft) tall by 8 m (26 ft) broad, with oval leaves up to 12 cm (5 in) long.

  • It belongs to the Anacardiaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 292 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #109 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 133 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #108 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 116 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #110 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (14 records)
Bloom time in the 35 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
Alabama🌷 Gardenfew records (3)292
Arkansas🌷 Gardenfew records (2)133
Missouri🌷 Gardenfew records (1)116
Texas🌷 Gardenfew records (5)106
Tennessee🌷 Gardenfew records (1)72
Oklahoma🌷 Gardenno flowering records24
Kansas🌷 Gardenno flowering records13
Georgia🌷 Gardenno flowering records12
North Carolina🌷 Gardenfew records (1)12
Maryland🌷 Gardenno flowering records7
Minnesota🌷 Gardenno flowering records7
Pennsylvania🌷 Gardenno flowering records7
Michigan🌷 Gardenno flowering records6
Oregon🌷 Gardenno flowering records5
Wisconsin🌷 Gardenno flowering records5
Ohio🌷 Gardenno flowering records4
Colorado🌷 Gardenno flowering records2
Illinois🌷 Gardenno flowering records2
Massachusetts🌷 Gardenno flowering records2
New York🌷 Gardenno flowering records2
Virginia🌷 Gardenno flowering records2
Kentucky🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
South Carolina🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
Utah🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
California🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Connecticut🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Delaware🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Indiana🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Maine🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
New Jersey🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
New Mexico🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Nevada🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Rhode Island🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Vermont🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Washington🌷 Gardenno flowering records0

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 26 of our 35 states.
See each state
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: S2, imperiled in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S1, critically imperiled in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe has no North Carolina rank for it. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe has no Maryland rank for it. COMAR 08.03.08
Minnesota
Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe has no Minnesota rank for it. Minn. R. 6134.0300
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe has no Pennsylvania rank for it. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Michigan
Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe has no Michigan rank for it. R 299.1028
Oregon
Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe has no Oregon rank for it. OAR 603-073-0070
Wisconsin
Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe has no Wisconsin rank for it. NR 27.03
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe has no Ohio rank for it. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe has no Illinois rank for it. IL E&T checklist 2025
Massachusetts
Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe has no Massachusetts rank for it. MESA list
New York
Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe has no New York rank for it. 6 NYCRR § 193.3
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe has no Virginia rank for it. 2VAC5-320-10
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe has no California rank for it. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Connecticut
Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe has no Connecticut rank for it. CT E/T/SC list
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe has no Delaware rank for it. DE rare plants 2024
Maine
Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe has no Maine rank for it. Maine rare plant list
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe has no New Jersey rank for it. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe has no New Mexico rank for it. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
Nevada
Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe has no Nevada rank for it. NAC 527.010
Rhode Island
Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe has no Rhode Island rank for it. RI rare plants 2016
Vermont
Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe has no Vermont rank for it. Vermont E&T list
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: S2, imperiled in Alabama.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: S2, imperiled in Oklahoma.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe has no Kansas rank for it.
Colorado
No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe has no Colorado rank for it.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe has no South Carolina rank for it.
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe has no Utah rank for it.
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe has no Indiana rank for it.
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe has no Washington rank for it.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 23, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S2 in Alabama, S2 in Tennessee, S2 in Oklahoma and S1 in Georgia. NatureServe

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records American smoketree in 8 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Colbert, Crenshaw, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lee, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Crawford, Garland, Izard, Marion, Newton, Pope, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Washington.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Douglas, Ozark, Polk, Stone, Taney.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Cotinus americanus.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 49 counties across 8 states; the most are in Arkansas (15), Alabama (9), Oklahoma (9).

Other Cotinus on Bloomipedia (1): Smoke tree.

More Alabama flowers

Sources