# kousa dogwood

*Cornus kousa*

What appear to be four white petals are actually pointed bracts; the true flowers are tiny and clustered in the center.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Cornales › Cornaceae › Cornus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Temperate deciduous forests, woodland edges, and cultivated urban landscapes.
- **Diet:** Photosynthesis (sunlight), water, and soil nutrients.
- **Range:** Japan, Korea, China, North America, Europe
- **Size:** 8 to 12 meters in height with a similar spread.
- **Lifespan:** 50 to 150 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Scale insects, dogwood borers, and competition from invasive understory species.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and non-toxic. The fleshy red fruits are edible for humans when soft, though the skin is gritty. Maintain a respectful distance to avoid damaging the delicate branches or bark.

## About

Cornus kousa is a small deciduous tree 8–12 m (26–39 ft) tall, in the flowering plant family Cornaceae. Common names include kousa , kousa dogwood , Chinese dogwood , Korean dogwood , and Japanese dogwood . Synonyms are Benthamia kousa and Cynoxylon kousa . It is a plant native to East Asia including Korea, China and Japan. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, it is naturalized in New York State.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/afd2ae49-9e99-41b1-87a8-934783a567e7
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/128614
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus kousa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/69066485/medium.jpg (Σ64, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.