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Cornus mas / Corneliancherry Dogwood / Cornaceae

native to central and southern Europe and parts of western Asia
hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form
a small, deciduous tree
reaching 20' tall or slightly larger
shape is rounded
branching is upright and spreading
dense and compact branching
typically multistemmed with a very short main trunk
branching is low branches hovering just above the ground

Summer Foliage
opposite, simple leaves
leaves are 2" to 4" long and 0.75" to 1.5" wide
petioles are quite short
leaf color is dark green
leaf surface is glossy
overall, summer foliage is of high quality

Autumn Foliage
typically not very good
mostly a mix of green and yellow with some purple-red highlights

Flowers
small yellow flowers in rounded clusters
flower clusters are numerous
blooms in late March or early April
for the early bloom time, flowering is quite showy
flowers are best viewed against a dark background

Fruit
bright red fruits shaped like an olive
between 0.5" to 1" long and about 0.5" wide
fruit color develops in mid summer
can be eaten when color becomes dark red or maroon
often consumed quickly by birds

Bark
showy exfoliating bark
a scaly mix of gray and tan
not stunning, but relatively attractive
adds to multiseason interest
Culture
full sun or partial shade
fairly easy to transplant, but can be slow to reestablish
prefers moist, rich, well-drained soil, but relatively adaptable
can be trimmed up at the base to make more tree-like and reveal the exfoliating bark better

Landscape Use
in shrub borders
hedges
screens
as a specimen
useful for early yellow flowers
multiseasonal for flowers good quality summer foliage, fruit and bark
works well in small groupings or groves

Liabilities
branching to the ground prevents turf growth beneath unless limbed up
fruit can be messy, staining sidewalks
very pest resistant

ID Features
yellow flowers early in spring
red, olive-shaped fruit
exfoliating bark
dark green, glossy foliage
small, rounded tree
flower buds are rounded and numerous
Propagation
by cuttings
by seed

Cultivars/Varieties
'Aurea' - A yellow-foliage form that is very hardy. The leaves will age to green in warm weather climates, however.

'Elegant', 'Pioneer' and 'Redstone' - Cornus mas is a edible food crop in many European areas, and its use as a culinary plant is increasing in this country. These three cultivars are notable for their heavy fruit set of fruit, which may be used for preserves, syrup, etc.