Cornus mas | Cornelian cherry

Cornelian Cherry is truly a four-season plant. It is one of the first of the dogwoods (for it is a dogwood, not a cherry) to burst into bloom. The individual yellow flowers are tiny, but they are borne in such profusion that they light up the early spring landscape. New leaves emerge once the blooms have faded. In mid-summer, large red fruits appear. These are edible, but we prefer to leave them to the birds. The dark green leaves deepen to purple as fall approaches. After the leaves drop, the wonderful exfoliating bark is revealed.

This is a tough tree that is easy to grow in almost any situation, but prefers moist, organically rich soils.

Did we mention how versatile this plant is? It can be grown as a large shrub, a specimen tree, or used as a hedge. It is deer resistant and has few pests or diseases. Remove suckers to prevent spread.

Distinctions: Winner of an Gold Medal Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; winner of a Cary Award from the New England Botanic Garden, which highlights landscape plants with a proven performance across New England.

Zones: 4 to 8
Family: Cornaceae
Type: Deciduous Tree
Height: 15 to 25 ft.
Spread: 15 to 20 ft.
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Conditions: Medium
Bloom Time: March to April
Native Range: Native to Southern and Central Europe and Western Asia