#135 CORNELIAN CHERRY
Cornus mas f. aurea elegantissima
Planted: 1934
This tree is in the centre of the central area.
| Distribution: | Cornus mas (the non-suffused gold leaf form) is native to western Europe (but not the British Isles), southern Europe and south-western Asia. Alternative common names: European cornel or Cornelian cherry dogwood |
| Planting Date: | 1934, probably purchased from J Cheal and Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley, Sussex or Hillier Nurseries, Romsey, Hampshire |
| Growth Habit: | It is a medium to large deciduous shrub or small tree |
| Bark: | Dark brown with greenish twigs. |
| Leaf: | Leaves ,suffused gold, are opposite 4 to 10 cm long and 2 to 4 cm broad, with an ovate to oblong shape and an entire margin. |
| Flowers: | Small 5 to 10 mm in diameter, with four yellow petals. Produced in clusters of 10 to 25 together in late winter (between February and March in the UK), well before the leaves appear. |
| Fruit: | The fruits are red berries, 2 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, containing a single seed. When ripe on the plant, they bear a resemblance to coffee berries, and ripen in mid to late summer. |
| Toxicity: | Not known |
| Potential tree size: | 5 to 12 m tall |
| Uses: | The fruit is edible, but acidic and best described as a mixture of cranberry and cherry, mainly used for making jam. Grown as an ornamental plant for its late winter yellow flowers. The wood is extremely dense and sinks in water. This makes it valuable for crafting into tool handles and parts for machines. |
| Plant Hunter: | Not known |
| Introduction Date: | circa 1895 |
| Anecdotes and Comments: | Wood used from the seventh century BCE onward by Greek craftsmen to construct spears, javelins and bows, the craftsmen considering it far superior to any other wood. The Greek name was used as a synonym for “spear” in poetry during the fourth and third centuries BCE. |