In short
- Flowers very early (February–March), before the leaves emerge — valuable pollen for bees.
- The red fruits are edible, sour and rich in vitamin C.
- Grows slowly but is long-lived; tolerates drought and calcareous soils.
- Well suited to naturalistic hedges and to parks.
- A sunny or partly shaded position, well-drained soil.
Botanical data
- Family
- Cornaceae (Cornaceae)
- Height
- 3–6 m
- Width
- 2.5–5 m
- Habit
- Spreading
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Position
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil
- Loamy, Humus-rich, Chalky, Sandy
- pH reaction
- pH 6–8
- Moisture
- Moderate
- Bloom
- February–March
- Hardiness
- USDA 4a–8b
- Propagation
- From seed, By layering, From cuttings
Characteristics
Usually a multi-stemmed, dense shrub of rounded habit. The small, yellow flowers in umbels open on the bare shoots before the leaves. The fruits are elongated, red drupes with a sour, astringent taste, ripening in late summer. The wood is exceptionally hard and heavy.
Growing and care
Watering
Once established, very drought-resistant; watering is needed mainly by young, freshly planted shrubs.
Fertilizing
An undemanding species — on average soil fertilising is usually unnecessary.
Planting
Tolerates dry and calcareous soils; for a hedge plant more densely, every 100–150 cm. Grows well in sun and partial shade.
Pruning
Tolerates cutting and shaping, including as a hedge; grows slowly, so hard pruning is rarely needed.
Companion plants
Good companions
Both flower very early and provide the first spring food for bees; the crocuses fill the space beneath the shrub beautifully.
Both are early-flowering, tolerant shrubs — they combine well in a naturalistic fruiting hedge for birds.
Bad companions
The Cornelian cherry prefers neutral and calcareous soils, whereas the blueberry needs strongly acidic ones — these conflicting soil requirements cannot be reconciled in one place.
The evidence level indicates whether the relationship is backed by research, observation, or gardening tradition.
Diseases and pests
A white, powdery coating on leaves, shoots and buds. The leaves turn yellow, become deformed and drop prematurely. The coating develops on both sides of the leaf blade, is often clearly visible from above, and can easily be rubbed off with a finger — it is the superficial mycelium of an ectoparasite that draws nutrients from the epidermal cells by means of feeding structures (haustoria). At first single, round, white spots appear, which in time merge and cover the entire leaf surface and the young growth. Young leaves and the current season's shoots are the most susceptible; heavy infection causes them to pucker, stiffen and stop growing, and on buds it leads to deformation or death of the flowers. On the fruit of some species (gooseberry, apple, cucurbits) the coating leaves russeting or a corky skin. Towards the end of the season, small, dark fruiting bodies (chasmothecia, formerly called cleistothecia) — the pathogen's overwintering structures — appear within the coating. The disease affects many plants, including roses, oak, privet, lilac, cucurbits, cereals, grapevine, apple, gooseberry, phlox and coneflowers, with each of these hosts being infected by a specialised species of fungus.
AphidsSmall (1–3 mm) soft-bodied insects, green, black or pink, feeding in clusters on young shoots and the underside of leaves. They excrete sticky honeydew. The diagnostic feature that distinguishes aphids from other small sucking insects is the pair of siphunculi (tubular projections) at the rear of the abdomen together with a tail-like cauda; a single colony usually holds wingless forms (parthenogenetic females) alongside winged migrants that fly onto new plants in summer. In summer aphids reproduce parthenogenetically and viviparously over many generations, so the population builds up explosively; in autumn many species produce a sexual generation that lays overwintering eggs on the host, and host-alternating species move between a winter host (often a tree or shrub) and a summer host (a herbaceous plant). Feeding symptoms include curling, crinkling and distortion of young leaves, stunted growth, yellowing, and the shedding of buds and fruitlets. Abundant honeydew coats the leaves, and the sooty mould fungus that develops on it forms a black film which limits photosynthesis; the honeydew is fed on by ants, which in return defend the colony against predators. Aphids are also important vectors of plant viruses (mosaics among them), transmitting them from plant to plant even during a brief probing puncture.
Toxicity
| For whom | Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | None | — |
| Dogs | None | — |
| Cats | None | — |
History and origin
Known and gathered since antiquity — the Greeks and Romans valued the hard wood of the Cornelian cherry for tools and spears, and the fruits were made into preserves. In Central Europe and the Balkans it remains popular in home orchards to this day.
Uses
The fruits are processed into jams, juices and liqueurs, and dried. Planted as an ornamental shrub with very early flowering, for naturalistic hedges and for plantings that attract birds and beneficial insects.
Trivia
- The wood of the Cornelian cherry is so dense that it sinks in water — it is among the hardest in the European flora.
- The fruits are made into a liqueur called “dereniówka”, as well as jams and juices.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Cornelian cherry flower and fruit?
It flowers very early, usually in February and March, before the leaves emerge. The red, edible fruits ripen in late summer, in August and September.
Are Cornelian cherry fruits edible?
Yes. The ripe, red fruits are edible — sour and astringent, rich in vitamin C. They are most often processed into jams, juices and liqueurs.
Does the Cornelian cherry grow quickly?
No, it grows slowly, especially when young. In return it is long-lived, undemanding and resistant to drought and frost.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online (POWO)Database (GBIF, POWO…)
- RHS — Cornus masInstitution / botanical garden
My note
A private note for this plant — saved in your browser.
