Flowering tree

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

🌷 Flowering treeIntroduced in the lower 48

Kousa dogwood is a popular flowering tree. It's on our flower lists for 39 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

2states

39of our state lists

1,068U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 23, 2026. 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.
From Wikipedia's article Cornus kousa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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

Kousa dogwood gift ideas

Handmade kousa dogwood gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Kousa dogwood art print
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Kousa dogwood mug
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Kousa dogwood earrings
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Kousa dogwood embroidery pattern
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Kousa dogwood sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (44 records)

Bloom time in each of our 39 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	🌷 Garden	few records	167
Tennessee	🌷 Garden	few records	162
Georgia	🌷 Garden	few records	114
Virginia	🌷 Garden	few records	108
Ohio	🌷 Garden	few records	89
Michigan	🌷 Garden	few records	85
Maryland	🌷 Garden	few records	63
Pennsylvania	🌷 Garden	few records	40
West Virginia	🌷 Garden	few records	31
Delaware	🌷 Garden	few records	24
Indiana	🌷 Garden	few records	22
Kentucky	🌷 Garden	few records	22
South Carolina	🌷 Garden	few records	22
Alabama	🌷 Garden	few records	19
Massachusetts	🌷 Garden	few records	17
New York	🌷 Garden	few records	15
Illinois	🌷 Garden	few records	14
Missouri	🌷 Garden	few records	13
Arkansas	🌷 Garden	few records	6
Wisconsin	🌷 Garden	few records	5
Connecticut	🌷 Garden	few records	4
Mississippi	🌷 Garden	few records	4
Rhode Island	🌷 Garden	few records	4
Oregon	🌷 Garden	few records	3
Washington	🌷 Garden	few records	3
New Jersey	🌷 Garden	few records	2
New Hampshire	🌷 Garden	few records	1
California	🌷 Garden	few records	1
Kansas	🌷 Garden	few records	1
Nebraska	🌷 Garden	few records	1
Oklahoma	🌷 Garden	few records	1
Vermont	🌷 Garden	few records	1
Colorado	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Iowa	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Idaho	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Maine	🌷 Garden	few records	0
New Mexico	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Nevada	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Utah	🌷 Garden	few records	0

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
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}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.
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)}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.
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}
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.