Cornus mas
Cornelian cherry dogwood
Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Cornus mas.
General Information
Plant Properties
Growth conditions
Moist
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Partial shade, Full sun
Usage properties
Fruit, Oil
Dye, Hedge, Oil, Wood, Bee forage
Description
Fruit - can be eaten raw, dried, or used for preserves. It is juicy and has a nice sour taste. When the fruit is fully ripe, it has a flavor and texture somewhat similar to a plum and is very tasty, while the unripe fruit is quite astringent. Due to its relatively low pectin content, this fruit must be used together with other fruits when making jam. At one point, the fruits were even preserved in brine and consumed like olives. The fruit is fairly large, up to 15 mm long, with a large seed. A small amount of edible oil can be extracted from the seeds. These seeds can be roasted, ground into a powder, and used as a coffee substitute.