Cornelian Cherry
Cornus mas
Earns its place for the haze of yellow flowers in late winter (vital early bee forage) before the tart edible cherries.
Cornelian cherry, also known as the European cornel, is a species of shrub or small tree in the dogwood family Cornaceae native to Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Southwestern Asia.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Water need
- Low
- Mature height
- 5 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 4–8
- Layers
- understory, shrub
Functional roles
Pollination & soil
Plant two for reliable fruit set.
- Soil
- medium/loam
- pH
- Neutral, Alkaline
Very tolerant, including chalk.
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Seed (slow); softwood cuttings summer
Very early yellow flowers feed pollinators; tart cherry-like fruit.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.