Flower profile

Silky dogwood

Cornus amomum

Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) is a shrub in the Cornaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

Native to Delaware

Silky dogwood is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

27states where USDA records it

135DE sightings*

6,394U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware

Quick look

Cornus amomum, the silky dogwood, is a species of dogwood native to southern Ontario and the eastern United States, from Michigan and Vermont south to Alabama and Florida. Other names include red willow, silky cornel, kinnikinnick, and squawbush.
From Wikipedia's article Cornus amomum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cornaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Delaware. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 10 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 135 research-grade sightings of it in Delaware, ranking #102 among the 164 flowers on our Delaware list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (768 records)

There are only a handful of Delaware flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IN (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

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 silky dogwood in 27 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Delaware counties with USDA records: New Castle.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Silky dogwood a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.0 to 7.0 and winter lows down to -33 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: High
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.0 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -33 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 110
Annual precipitation range: 36 to 60 inches
Minimum root depth: 16 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Green · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for COAM2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Swida amomum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 813 counties across 24 states; the most are in Virginia (93), Ohio (77), Illinois (69).

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

More Delaware flowers

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida

★ NC state flowerNative

🌼 Few flowering records in DE

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

🌷 Flowering tree

🌷 Grown in Delaware gardens

Cornelian cherry

Cornus mas

🌷 Flowering tree

🌷 Grown in Delaware gardens

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COAM2.
iNaturalist, Cornus amomum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Cornus amomum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Cornus amomum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Juan C. Espinosa via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.