Cornelian cherry
Cornus mas · Cornaceae
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is a perennial tree in the Cornaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -27°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 26 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | slow USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | understory Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 26 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows slowly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 50 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 160 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 30 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, bare root and container stock. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. It can resprout after its top growth is damaged, so it tolerates being cut back hard. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Cornus
- alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia
- silky dogwood Cornus amomum
- bunchberry dogwood Cornus canadensis
- roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii
Similar role and hardiness
- pawpaw Asimina triloba
- eastern redbud Cercis canadensis
- Sierra larkspur Delphinium glaucum
- winterberry euonymus Euonymus bungeanus
- American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol COMA21, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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