Plant Details

Cornus mas

Cornelian cherry dogwood

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Common names

45 names · 32 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Cornelian cherry[2]
  • Cornelian cherry dogwood[2]
  • Cornelian-cherry[1]
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • European Cornel[2]
  • Kierelter[2]
Other languages (31)
Dutch
  • eetbare kornoelje[2]
  • Gele kornoelje[2]
French
  • Cornouiller mâle[2]
  • Cornouiller sauvage[2]
Armenian
  • Ճապկի արական[2]
Asturian
Bosnian
  • Crveni drijen[2]
Bulgarian
  • Обикновен дрян[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 大果山茱萸[2]
  • 欧洲山茱萸[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 大果山茱萸[2]
Croatian
  • Crveni drijen[2]
Czech
  • dřín jarní[2]
Danish
  • Kirsebærkornel[2]
Estonian
  • harilik kirsskontpuu[2]
  • kirss-kontpuu[2]
Finnish
  • punamarjakanukka[2]
German
  • Dirndlstrauch[2]
  • Gelber Hartriegel[2]
  • Herlitze[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Greek
  • Κρανιά[2]
Hungarian
  • Húsos som[2]
Italian
Japanese
  • セイヨウサンシュユ[2]
Latvian
  • Parastais kizils[2]
Lithuanian
  • Geltonžiedė sedula[2]
Macedonian
Norwegian
  • vårkornell[2]
Polish
  • Dereń jadalny[2]
Romanian
Russian
  • Кизил мужской[2]
  • Кизил обыкновенный[2]
Slovak
  • drieň obyčajný[2]
Slovenian
  • rumeni dren[2]
Spanish
  • cornejo macho[2]
Swedish
  • körsbärskornell[2]
Turkish
  • kızılcık[2]
Ukrainian
  • Дерен справжній[2]
  • Кизил справжній[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Cornus mas L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Cornelian-cherry (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 151670; taxon YGL2.
  • Kornelkirsche (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 151671; taxon YGL2.
[2] Cornus mas — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Кизил обыкновенный — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Cornouiller sauvage — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Cornouiller mâle — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Cornelian cherry — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • gele kornoelje — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • eetbare kornoelje — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • European Cornel — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Cornelian cherry dogwood — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Обикновен дрян — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Corniolo — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • dřín jarní — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Kornelkirsche — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • corneyal — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • vårkornell — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Kirsebærkornel — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Geltonžiedė sedula — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Herlitze — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • drieň obyčajný — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • 欧洲山茱萸 — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • 大果山茱萸 — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • 大果山茱萸 — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • cornejo macho — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • セイヨウサンシュユ — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • kirss-kontpuu — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • harilik kirsskontpuu — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • körsbärskornell — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Dereń jadalny — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Kierelter — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Crveni drijen — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Gelber Hartriegel — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Dirndlstrauch — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • kızılcık — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • rumeni dren — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Дерен справжній — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Ճապկի արական — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Κρανιά — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • дрен — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Corn — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Кизил мужской — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Húsos som — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Crveni drijen — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Parastais kizils — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • Кизил справжній — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.
  • punamarjakanukka — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 55858; Cornus mas.

General information

Scientific name: Cornus mas
Accepted name (Kew): Cornus mas L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Cornaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Cornus (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Cornelian cherry dogwood
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Fruit tree, Shrub
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 4.57–7.62 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 4.57–6.1 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Moderate
Sources [3]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Dense, Horizontal, Multi-trunked, Oval, Rounded

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit, Oil
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
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.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/08
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 14963; name ID 47266; Cornus L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 986760; name ID 47432; Cornus mas L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Cornus mas

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 5380380, ID YGL2: Cornus mas L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Cornus mas — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .