Creating a Year Round Garden: Cornelian Cherry

In this last few weeks of March I have spot a handful of Cornelian Cherry trees and I have been struck again how beautiful a tree they are. The Cornelian Cherry is actually a dogwood, Cornus mas. In early spring, the tree will be covered in a profusion of small yellow flowers. 

You will see it grown as a low branching, multi stemmed shrub or as a small tree (mature height depended on variety, but generally speaking 10-20ft tall). Cornus mas does well as part of a multi species hedge / screen or as a specimen tree / shrub in a garden. 

In addition to being one of the earliest blooming spring trees, it also edible, producing a deliciously tart oval cherry in September. 

Unlike other dogwoods, these trees will not be happy in shady conditions, they need full to part sun, otherwise their bloom and fruit set will not be as good. 

We don’t currently have one in our garden, but I am hoping to plant a few this spring, as I have loved seeing them here and there this spring.