Cornaceae

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida L.

Family: Cornaceae
Genus: Cornus

Pets and kids

CatsNot sure
DogsNot sure
KidsNot sure

Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) — FlowerPhoto: Austin Pursley, CC0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (9)

Arabic: قرنوس, قرنوس فلوريدا
Chinese: 大花四照花, 狗木, 多花狗木, 大花山茱萸
Czech: Dřínovec květnatý
English: Flowering dogwood
French: Cornouiller a fleurs, Cornouiller À Fleurs
German: Blüten-Hartriegel, Amerikanischer Blumen-Hartriegel
Japanese: アメリカヤマボウシ, ハナミズキ, 花水木
Slovenian: Floridski dren, Ameriški dren, Ameriški dren cvetnik
Spanish: Cornejo florido, Sanguiñuelo florido

Synonyms

Benthamia florida (L.) Nakai
Benthamidia florida (L.) Spach
Benthamidia florida f. pendula (Dippel) H.Hara
Benthamidia florida f. pluribracteata (Rehder) H.Hara
Benthamidia florida f. rubra (Weston) H.Hara
Benthamidia florida f. xanthocarpa (Rehder) H.Hara
Benthamidia florida var. pendula (Dippel) Moldenke
Benthamidia florida var. rubra (Weston) Moldenke
Benthamidia florida var. urbiniana (Rose) Moldenke
Benthamidia florida var. urbiniana (Rose) H.Hara
Cornus candidissima Mill.
Cornus florida f. florida
Cornus florida f. pendula (Dippel) Schelle
Cornus florida f. pluribracteata Rehder
Cornus florida f. purpurea Geerinck
Cornus florida f. rubra (Weston) Schelle
Cornus florida f. xanthocarpa (Rehder) Rehder
Cornus florida subsp. urbiniana (Rose) Rickett
Cornus florida var. florida
Cornus florida var. pendula Dippel
Cornus florida var. rosea Carrière & André
Cornus florida var. rubra Weston
Cornus florida var. rubra André
Cornus florida var. urbiniana (Rose) Wangerin
Cornus florida var. xanthocarpa Rehder
Cornus urbiniana Rose
Cynoxylon florida Raf.
Cynoxylon floridum (L.) Small
Cynoxylon floridum (L.) Britton & Shafer
Cynoxylon floridum var. pendulum (Dippel) Moldenke
Cynoxylon floridum var. rubrum (Weston) Moldenke

Flowers

In flower: March to May (from 4,207 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour: white (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Austin Pursley, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: cigazze, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: florawhite, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: John P Friel, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FruitPhoto: Laura Clark, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Koba-chan assumed, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sandra D, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: back_to_nature, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Buckley Collum, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: natalie, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: DJ Sabz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Cornus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.