Cornelian cherry dogwood 40-80 cm (Cornus mas)
Estimated delivery to you: 01 October to 08 October.
Cornelian cherry dogwood: current height 40-80 cm
Common name: Cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornelian Cherry
Scientific name: Cornus mas
Family: Cornaceae
Plant history & use:
We like to refer to the Cornelian cherry dogwood as Europe’s (yellow-flowered) counterpart to Sakura – the Japanese cherry trees, which also bloom on bare branches. Like the cherry trees, the Cornelian cherry dogwood also produces interesting, edible berries that can be used in many ways.
The natural range of the Cornelian cherry dogwood stretches from central and southeastern Europe to western Asia around the Caucasus, but it has also been successfully planted in, among other places, Sweden and North America.
The Cornelian cherry dogwood is usually valued for its ornamental qualities early in the year. With its abundant flowering on bare branches in March-April, it is a refreshing sight before much else has sprouted. Because of this, it also serves as a valuable early source of nectar and pollen for pollinators. The flowers are small and yellow and grow in clusters.
From the flowers come
then olive-shaped red berries that are edible. These ripen late in summer or early autumn. The fruit is hard, sour, and astringent before it is ripe but softens as it becomes sweeter. Another sign that the fruit is ripe is to look at the ground – when the fruit starts to fall, it has sweetened. For easier harvest, you can shake the branches and then pick up the berries that fall, since not all ripen at the same time.
The berries, described as tasting like cranberry/sour cherry/plum, can be used to make jelly, jam, juice, fruit wine, and as cocktail berries. The stones can be roasted, ground, and then used as a coffee substitute, and unripe fruits can be pickled and eaten as a substitute for olives. The Cornelian cherry dogwood has long been used in Mediterranean countries and western Asia precisely for its fruits and the medicinal properties they are believed to have. The berries contain a high amount of vitamin C and the antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives the fruit its color.
The Cornelian cherry dogwood is self-pollinating but the harvest can be more abundant if several individuals are planted together.
The hard wood of the Cornelian cherry dogwood was highly valued by the ancient Romans and Greeks for making, among other things, spears and bows.
Cultivation:
The Cornelian cherry dogwood thrives best in full sun to partial shade but also does well in shadier places, though it will produce fewer berries there.
If allowed to grow freely, it becomes a broad and bushy shrub. It is also excellent to train it into a small tree, and the crown can become as wide as the tree is tall. When growing freely, it becomes multi-stemmed, but it is equally possible to keep and train one of the stems. The Cornelian cherry dogwood can also be used as a hedge plant as it responds well to pruning.
It has an upright growth habit, but if the branches grow long, their tips may start to point downward.
The Cornelian cherry dogwood prefers well-drained, nutrient-rich soil and is not picky about pH, although calcareous soil is especially favorable. It is warmth-loving and tolerates drought once established.
The stem is gray-brown and the bark on somewhat older individuals flakes nicely. The Cornelian cherry dogwood is deciduous and its autumn color is a beautiful brownish-yellow to reddish-brown.
Characteristics:
Longevity: Perennial
Growing position: sun/partial shade
Height: 3-6 m
Hardiness zone: 1-4
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Cornelian cherry dogwood 40-80 cm (Cornus mas)
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Cornelian cherry dogwood: current height 40-80 cm
Common name: Cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornelian Cherry
Scientific name: Cornus mas
Family: Cornaceae
Plant history & use:
We like to refer to the Cornelian cherry dogwood as Europe’s (yellow-flowered) counterpart to Sakura – the Japanese cherry trees, which also bloom on bare branches. Like the cherry trees, the Cornelian cherry dogwood also produces interesting, edible berries that can be used in many ways.
The natural range of the Cornelian cherry dogwood stretches from central and southeastern Europe to western Asia around the Caucasus, but it has also been successfully planted in, among other places, Sweden and North America.
The Cornelian cherry dogwood is usually valued for its ornamental qualities early in the year. With its abundant flowering on bare branches in March-April, it is a refreshing sight before much else has sprouted. Because of this, it also serves as a valuable early source of nectar and pollen for pollinators. The flowers are small and yellow and grow in clusters.
From the flowers come
then olive-shaped red berries that are edible. These ripen late in summer or early autumn. The fruit is hard, sour, and astringent before it is ripe but softens as it becomes sweeter. Another sign that the fruit is ripe is to look at the ground – when the fruit starts to fall, it has sweetened. For easier harvest, you can shake the branches and then pick up the berries that fall, since not all ripen at the same time.
The berries, described as tasting like cranberry/sour cherry/plum, can be used to make jelly, jam, juice, fruit wine, and as cocktail berries. The stones can be roasted, ground, and then used as a coffee substitute, and unripe fruits can be pickled and eaten as a substitute for olives. The Cornelian cherry dogwood has long been used in Mediterranean countries and western Asia precisely for its fruits and the medicinal properties they are believed to have. The berries contain a high amount of vitamin C and the antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives the fruit its color.
The Cornelian cherry dogwood is self-pollinating but the harvest can be more abundant if several individuals are planted together.
The hard wood of the Cornelian cherry dogwood was highly valued by the ancient Romans and Greeks for making, among other things, spears and bows.
Cultivation:
The Cornelian cherry dogwood thrives best in full sun to partial shade but also does well in shadier places, though it will produce fewer berries there.
If allowed to grow freely, it becomes a broad and bushy shrub. It is also excellent to train it into a small tree, and the crown can become as wide as the tree is tall. When growing freely, it becomes multi-stemmed, but it is equally possible to keep and train one of the stems. The Cornelian cherry dogwood can also be used as a hedge plant as it responds well to pruning.
It has an upright growth habit, but if the branches grow long, their tips may start to point downward.
The Cornelian cherry dogwood prefers well-drained, nutrient-rich soil and is not picky about pH, although calcareous soil is especially favorable. It is warmth-loving and tolerates drought once established.
The stem is gray-brown and the bark on somewhat older individuals flakes nicely. The Cornelian cherry dogwood is deciduous and its autumn color is a beautiful brownish-yellow to reddish-brown.
Characteristics:
Longevity: Perennial
Growing position: sun/partial shade
Height: 3-6 m
Hardiness zone: 1-4
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