Bloomipedia
Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)
Photo: Luke Wildfire via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flowering tree

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) is a tree in the Cornaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states.

🌷 Flowering treeIntroduced in the lower 48

Kousa dogwood is a popular flowering tree. It's on our flower lists for 39 states.

2states where USDA records it
39Bloomipedia state lists include it
1,068U.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, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Cornus kousa is a small deciduous tree in the flowering plant family Cornaceae. Common names include kousa, kousa dogwood, Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, and Japanese dogwood.

  • It belongs to the Cornaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 167 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #118 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 162 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #117 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 114 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #118 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (44 records)
Bloom time in the 39 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
North Carolina🌷 Gardenfew records (3)167
Tennessee🌷 Gardenfew records (1)162
Georgia🌷 Gardenfew records (3)114
Virginia🌷 Gardenfew records (10)108
Ohio🌷 Gardenfew records (5)89
Michigan🌷 Gardenfew records (1)85
Maryland🌷 Gardenfew records (4)63
Pennsylvania🌷 Gardenfew records (4)40
West Virginia🌷 Gardenfew records (2)31
Delaware🌷 Gardenno flowering records24
Indiana🌷 Gardenno flowering records22
Kentucky🌷 Gardenfew records (5)22
South Carolina🌷 Gardenno flowering records22
Alabama🌷 Gardenfew records (1)19
Massachusetts🌷 Gardenfew records (1)17
New York🌷 Gardenfew records (1)15
Illinois🌷 Gardenfew records (2)14
Missouri🌷 Gardenno flowering records13
Arkansas🌷 Gardenno flowering records6
Wisconsin🌷 Gardenno flowering records5
Connecticut🌷 Gardenno flowering records4
Mississippi🌷 Gardenno flowering records4
Rhode Island🌷 Gardenno flowering records4
Oregon🌷 Gardenno flowering records3
Washington🌷 Gardenno flowering records3
New Jersey🌷 Gardenno flowering records2
New Hampshire🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
California🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
Kansas🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
Nebraska🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
Oklahoma🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
Vermont🌷 Gardenno flowering records1
Colorado🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Iowa🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Idaho🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Maine🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
New Mexico🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Nevada🌷 Gardenno flowering records0
Utah🌷 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
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 27 of our 39 states.
See each state
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
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe has no Tennessee rank for it. 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 has no Georgia rank for it. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
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
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
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
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
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
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
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe has no Kentucky rank for it. 400 KAR 3:040
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: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. 6 NYCRR § 193.3
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
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe has no Missouri rank for it. 3 CSR 10-4.111
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
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
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
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
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 Hampshire
Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe has no New Hampshire rank for it. NH Ncr 312
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)
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe has no Nebraska rank for it. 163 NAC 4-004
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
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe has no Iowa rank for it. IAC 571-77.3
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 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
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe has no West Virginia 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.
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.
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe has no Alabama rank for it.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe has no Arkansas rank for it.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe has no Mississippi 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.
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.
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe has no Oklahoma 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.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe has no Idaho 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.
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.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Fruits are technically edible but are usually left for the birds.” 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 kousa dogwood in 2 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

New Jersey, New York.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 5 counties across 2 states; the most are in New York (3), New Jersey (2).

Other Cornus on Bloomipedia (9): Flowering dogwood, Canadian bunchberry, Red osier dogwood, Roughleaf dogwood, Alternate-leaved dogwood, Western bunchberry, Silky dogwood, Cornelian cherry, Swedish cornel.

More North Carolina flowers

Sources