Cornus: Cultivation, Care & Use

In earlier times, the cornel was an important type of fruit and is found in hedges and at the edges of forests in many places. We give tips on planting, harvesting and processing the cornelian cherry.

In the Middle Ages, the cornel was considered together with the medlar (Mespilus germanica) as an important fruit tree, but fell into oblivion again and is now a ubiquitous wild fruit that occurs in many gardens. In this article you will learn everything about the cornelian cherry, its history, location requirements, planting and care, and the use of stone fruits.

Cornelian cherry: flower, origin and properties

The cornel (Cornus mas) belongs to the dogwood family (Cornaceae) and occurs naturally from Europe to Asia Minor. The wild form is often found in bird protection hedges, at the edges of forests and in sparse mixed forests. In German-speaking countries, the cornel is also known as the dirndl tree, animal tree, Herlitze or yellow dogwood. The edible cornel has been used as food since primeval times, from the early Iron Age from 800 B.C. Chr. the oldest finds come from cores in clay pots.

The cornelian cherry can live for more than 100 years. During this time, it grows into a tree or large shrub that is 6 to 8 m high and wide. It grows by around 20 to 30 cm in height every year, making it one of the less competitive, comparatively slow-growing trees. The ovate, elliptical leaves of the cornel sit on the red-brown and green-grey shoots. They are shiny green in summer and yellowish to red-orange in autumn. Typically, the leaves are hairy on the upper and lower side, wavy on the edge and 4 to 10 cm long. The sun-yellow flowers of the cornelian cherry, sitting in spherical cymes, appear from February to April, long before the first leaves appear. They are a valuable food source for all kinds of pollinators such as bees and bumblebees.

From mid-August to the end of September, the approximately 2 cm large, oval-round, edible fruits of the cornel ripen, which now turn deep red and become soft. The stone fruit is surrounded by tasty, fruity and sour tasting, pleasantly sweet pulp. When fully ripe, the fruits fall off and thus provide food for numerous animals such as dormouse, dormouse and various birds in autumn. The cornel is a high-yielding wild fruit tree that yields 20 to 40 kg per bush and up to 70 kg per year on old plants.

The most popular varieties of cornel

Cornus cherries have been cultivated for more than 100 years, nowadays mainly at the HBLFA Schönbrunn in Vienna and at the Institute for Fruit Breeding in Bojnice in Slovakia, also in Bulgaria and the Caucasus region. The main focus here is on the fruit size and taste. We present the most popular cornelian varieties and their properties.

• ˈAureaˈ: Slow-growing cornelian cherry with strikingly light, yellow-green foliage and a growth height of up to 4 m.
• ˈJolicoˈ: Cornelian cherry with fruits over 3 cm in size and late ripening from mid-September. Light red fruits with a yield of 20 to 40 kg per mature bush. The variety originated at the HBLFA in Schönbrunn in Vienna.
• ˈKazanlakˈ: Pear-shaped, large fruits with a dark red color and ripen early from mid-August. The variety comes from Bulgaria and reaches a height of 2 to 3 m.
• ˈPancherevoˈ: This slender variety reaches a height of up to 5 m and grows more like a cornus tree than a shrub. The large fruits each weigh up to 15 g.
• ˈSchönbrunner Gourmet-Dirndlˈ: A cultivar of the HBLFA Schönbrunn with very sweet, pear-shaped, 3 cm large fruits and a yield of 15 to 25 kg per bush.
• ˈYellowˈ: Yellow cornel that ripens very early from mid-August and has about 2 cm large, milder and less sour-tasting fruits. Very good pollinator for all yellow cornel varieties.

tip: The Japanese cornus (Cornus officinalis) from that about a week ago Cornus mas flowers and whose young shoots are brown instead of green-red. But this Far Eastern species also produces edible red fruits and offers pretty autumn colours.

Planting cornel: location and procedure

The ideal location for the cornelian cherry is sunny to semi-shady. It loves warmth and can reach amazing sizes in sheltered locations. With us, however, the cornelian cherry is completely hardy and can also cope with cooler areas. As far as the soil is concerned, it also makes few demands, because it grows on sandy as well as loamy or humus-rich soils, as long as they are not too dry. The acidity of the soil can be slightly acidic to very alkaline, but a pH value in the calcareous range of 7.4 and higher is preferred.
The native wild fruit is suitable for planting as a hedge, but cornel cherries as a standard can also be planted as an ornamental tree with a solitary position in the garden. Cornus cherries are not very competitive when they are young, which should be considered when planting in combination with other trees and shrubs. Here the weak-growing cornelian cherries should be released so that they have more space and are not overgrown.

Autumn between October and mid-November is the best time to plant the cornelian cherry bushes, as they are already shedding their leaves and going into hibernation. Until the leaves sprout in the spring of the next year, the plant only concentrates on developing roots and can grow well. Alternatively, planting in early March is also possible, but the cornelian cherries then have to be watered regularly in summer, as there is not yet enough root mass. If you want to create a hedge, you should calculate about 2.5 plants per meter, which corresponds to a planting distance of 40 cm. In a single position, the cornelian cherry takes up a space of about 4 to 5 m wide over the years, which is why it should be kept at least 2 m away from neighboring plants.

First, a large planting hole is dug and the cornelian cherry planted with the root ball. For a good supply of nutrients, mix the excavated soil with mature compost or a predominantly organic long-term fertilizer such as ours Plantura universal fertilizer in organic quality. Since the nutrients contained in the granules, such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus, only slowly over several Are released throughout the month, they gently and gently support the cornelian cherry in the growth phase consistent. Now fill the planting hole around the wood again and press the soil down lightly. Then water extensively to flush the substrate to the roots and create a soil cover. In the spring you should also model a casting ring out of soil in order to be able to water plentifully and effectively.

Tip: The cornelian cherry is only suitable as a container plant when it is young and does not grow very tall. In order for the roots to develop well, the plant needs a lot of space underground and should only be planted in a correspondingly large pot and moved annually. In addition, the pots must be protected from frost over the winter, as there is a risk in the pot that the root ball and soil will freeze through and suffer major damage.

Cornelian cherry plants at a glance:

• Sunny to semi-shady location in a sheltered location
• Preferred pH: 7.4 and higher
• Best planting time: October to mid-November
• Planting distance for hedge planting: approx. 40 cm
• Planting distance for single planting: at least 2 m to neighboring plants
• Dig a large hole and put cornelian cherries in it
• Mix the excavated soil with long-term fertilizer and distribute around the plant
• Press down the soil and water extensively
• When planting in spring, model a casting ring
• Due to the limited space, pot planting is only possible with young cornelian cherries

The most important care measures

As a native wild tree, the cornelian cherry is naturally very easy to care for, but it also benefits from a few gardening attentions. We have compiled the most important measures for caring for cornelian cherries for you.

Water and fertilize

Cornelian cherries can withstand dry periods well, but they generally prefer soil that never completely dries out and stores some moisture even in midsummer. At the right location, only freshly planted cornelian cherry bushes need to be watered, as the root system has yet to develop properly here. Established plants provide themselves with water after two to three years at the latest. Maintenance fertilization once a year in spring when the leaves sprout is sufficient for the cornelian cherry. For this, work on the surface with some mature compost or slow-release fertilizer on an organic basis, such as ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer, around the plant. Microorganisms in the soil break down the granules over time and release plant-available nutrients.

Cut cornel

Cornelian cherries do not necessarily have to be cut if there is enough space. The flowers develop on one-year-old wood. Therefore, if you cut hard, you have to expect a crop failure. However, the plants themselves tolerate pruning measures such as thinning out well, and they can also Large shrubs can also be limited in height and width by regular pruning, resulting in hedges of advantage is. They can even recover from the cane with a radical pruning and form new shoots. The Cornelian cherry itself is so pruning-tolerant that it can be grown as a topiary in a spherical shape, as a bonsai or as a trellis. However, due to the frequent pruning, it bears fruit less often and significantly less.

Cornus: diseases and pests

The cornel is hardly attacked by pests, individual leaves are mined by caterpillars. Brown spots are often found on the leaves of cornel and other dogwood plants caused by fungi such as Septoria or bacteria like Pseudomonas syringae be triggered, but rarely threaten the plant. A clearing cut for better ventilation and removing the diseased leaves that have fallen off can help here. However, on properties bordering fields and forests, the risk of browsing by game is much higher than the infestation with pathogens.

Propagating cornel

The wild form of the cornel can be propagated via its seeds. However, this has a very long and stable dormancy and it is also about cold germinator, which usually only germinate after two winters. For the sake of simplicity, the cultivation takes place outdoors. Dig bought or self-made seeds about 3 to 5 cm deep in the bed in late autumn, mark the spot and be patient until the first seedlings come out of the ground next spring at the earliest watch.

A much faster method of propagation, also for varieties, is rooting cuttings. In the early summer, after the flowering period of the cornelian cherry, cut 10 to 15 cm long shoots from the still soft, straight shoots first woody new shoots of the same year and stick them deep into moistened potting soil, half of which is mixed with sand became. Our Plantura herbal & seed soil is ideal for this because it is low in nutrient salts, which would deprive the freshly cut cuttings of much-needed water. At the same time, the high compost content and the resulting water storage provide a good environment for root formation. The cuttings should be kept warm, light and moist for the next two to three weeks, ideally 15 to 20°C and a translucent cover that maintains high humidity. Roots form quickly and the cuttings can be transferred to nutrient-rich soil after about four weeks or planted out in autumn. Adult plants also often form root shoots that can be dug up and transplanted.

Is the cornel poisonous?

The Cornelian cherry is completely harmless to humans, it was cultivated and harvested as an important fruit tree for a long time. After all, their fruits offered an important source of vitamins in the cold season. Cornelian cherries are also not poisonous or dangerous for pets such as cats or dogs. Digestive problems can only occur if you swallow too many of the fruits with the stone.

Cornelian cherry: harvest and use

The cornelian cherry harvest season begins in mid-August. The exact time depends on the variety. Once the fruits are ready to be harvested, the harvest time lasts about 1-2 weeks. Fully ripe fruits usually fall off the bush. Therefore, a fine-meshed net is stretched under the plants. Shaking it vigorously ensures that more, almost fully ripe fruit falls down and more can be harvested at once. This saves you the tedious task of picking up and washing fruit lying on the ground. Cornelian cherries that are already soft should be processed immediately or alternatively frozen. Fruit that is not quite ripe can be stored in a cool place for a maximum of ten days.

Only fully ripe fruits taste pleasantly sweet and sour and take on a very soft consistency. Fruits that are too unripe, on the other hand, tend to be hard and still extremely acidic. However, pink, half-ripe cornelian cherries ripen well, which can be particularly encouraged by warmth.

Ripe cornel cherries are suitable as a healthy snack, as they have a very high vitamin C content of 70 to 125 mg per 100 g. For some, however, they taste too sour when fresh, but a wide variety of processing methods can be used to produce cornel juices, syrup or the liqueur “Dernovka”, which is well-known in Russia. In addition, the "Dirdl-Schnaps", which is popular in Austria, is preserved in high-percentage spirits. Delicious cornelian cherry jam and jelly are made when the fruit is boiled down and then passed through a sieve to remove the stones. Similar to cranberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) the cornel goes very well with game dishes in the form of sauces or compote. In order to preserve the wild fruit for several years, you should dry, candy or freeze the cornelian cherries. Even the half-ripe, green fruits can be pitted as “false olives” and enjoyed in wine vinegar. In the past, the valuable ingredients and healing properties of cornel cherries were used as home remedies to relieve intestinal inflammation or fever.

Another type of wild fruit that is gaining in importance is the service pear (amelanchier). We show how the decorative small trees and shrubs feel at home in your garden and whether the fruits are suitable for consumption.