Cornelian cherry

Cornus mas

Yellow flowers in March and tart red fruit that sweetens when fully ripe.

Type: small tree · fruit trees
Hardiness: zones 4 to 8
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 20 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: August to September
From: Europe and W. Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.

Good for: food, pollinators.

Native to: Temperate Europe, Mediterranean, Caucasus. Hardy in zones 4 to 8.

The story

Cornelian cherry was eaten by the Greeks and Romans, who also made spears of its hard wood; the Persians still cook it into sauces, and Ukraine, Turkey and the Caucasus make it into jam, juice and vodka. It flowers yellow in late winter before anything else.

Planting

Full sun or part shade, any drained soil; very hardy and adaptable. Plant two varieties for a heavy crop; a 15-foot tree or large shrub.

Growing

Water the first years, then little. Prune lightly after fruiting. It is slow, long-lived and nearly trouble-free.

Harvest and use

Fruit ripens red in late summer and drops when ripe; gather from the ground or shake the tree. Tart; jam, syrup, pickles like olives, and liqueur.

What to watch for

Almost nothing.

See if Cornelian cherry fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.

More fruit trees

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home