Additional notes (click to expand)

Horticulture

This beautiful large shrub or small tree is widely grown for its yellow flowers in late winter. In late summer and early autumn, it produces lots of small, vitamin C-rich fruits. The fruits have a sour cherry flavour. They can be eaten fresh or used in juices, jams and cordials Full sun or part shade, at the back of a border or as a specimen in a lawn Self-fertile Yellow varieties are often considered the sweetest.
The Royal Horticultural Society The Garden magazine, September 2021

Medicinal

In traditional medicine the bark and the fruit of Cornus mas are astringent, febrifuge and nutritive[Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984]. The astringent fruit is a good treatment for bowel complaints and fevers, whilst it is also used in the treatment of cholera. The flowers are used in the treatment of diarrhoea[Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984].
https://pfaf.org https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Cornus+mas

Nomenclature

Cornus- Dogwood or cornel, bunchberry. The Latin name for the cornelian (Cornus mas) cherry.
Stearn, W.T. (1996). Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. Cassell. p.104

mas- Male; masculine; used by early writers in a metaphorical sense to distinguish robust species from more delicate species...
Stearn, W.T. (1996). Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. Cassell. p.202

Other use

The fruits are edible and have a sour cherry flavour. They can be eaten fresh or used in juices, jams and cordials.
The Royal Horticultural Society The Garden magazine, September 2021

Geographical distribution

  • Asia-Temperate, Caucasus, Transcaucasus
  • Asia-Temperate, Western Asia, Turkey
  • Europe, Eastern Europe, Ukraine
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Austria
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Belgium
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Germany
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Hungary
  • Europe, Middle Europe, Switzerland
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Albania
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Czech Republic
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Greece
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Italy
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Romania
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Turkey-in-Europe
  • Europe, Southeastern Europe, Yugoslavia
  • Europe, Southwestern Europe, France

Cornus mas L.

Family: CORNACEAE
Genus: Cornus
Species: mas L.
Common names: Cornelian Cherry
Pharmacopoeia Londinensis name: Cornus
Distribution summary: Europe, W.Asia
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: H5 - Hardy; cold winter
Habitat: Woodlands
Garden status: Currently grown
Garden location: Pharmacopoeia Londinensis 1618 'Fruit' (HSE 4)
Flowering months: February, March
Reason for growing: Medicinal


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