![]() ![]() Young stems are greenish, maturing to a purplish-brown with lighter undersides. Maturing plants cast dense shade, causing plants growing beneath them to die out. Multi-trunked, or pruned to a single trunk with low branching, it has a shrub-like appearance, and is sometimes considered a large shrub rather than a small tree. In addition, it has long been valued for its ornamental qualities and edible fruit.Ĭornus mas is hardy to USDA Zones 4 or 5 to 8 (minimum winter temperature: -30 or -20 degrees F.), and grows to a mature size of about 15 feet tall by 15-20 feet wide, with an upright-rounded habit of growth. In recent times, scientific studies have shown that it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and has protective effects against parasites, microbes and cancers. The common name, cornelian cherry, refers to the cherry-like fruits and their color, which resembles that of the gemstone carnelian.Ĭultivated for many centuries for the medicinal properties of its seeds, fruits, leaves and stems, cornelian cherry was used historically to treat infectious diseases, and to protect against heart, kidney, and liver problems. However, young plants bear only male flowers and are fruitless hence they’re easily mistaken for males. ![]() Plants are monoecious – that is, male & female flowers appear on the same plant. The genus name, Cornus, refers to dogwood trees & shrubs, and the species name, mas, means male – a usage that dates to Roman times. Fortunately, it’s also planted throughout the Washington Park Arboretum and at the Center for Urban Horticulture, in a grove along NE 41st Street.Ĭornus mas is native to Europe and southwestern Asia, but not to Japan. This year, a major renovation project will delay our garden’s opening until early April, so interested visitors will need to go elsewhere to view the flowers of this lovely tree. They bloom in February and often into March, the month that the garden usually opens after its 3-month winter closure. Our Seattle Japanese Garden has two specimens, both in Area L, near the garden’s northern end on the east side of the pond. Little known, but attractive and adaptable, it deserves to be more widely planted. Like forsythia and many other early-blooming trees and shrubs, it has bright yellow flowers. Despite its common name, cornelian cherry is a species of dogwood, not a true cherry - and is sometimes known as cornelian cherry dogwood. Cornus mas is a small deciduous tree that brightens the winter garden with its cheerful February blooms. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |