Cornus mas

Origin: Central and South-eastern Europe

Botanical characteristics: It is a large shrub or small tree up to 8 mt high. It is deciduous, slow-growing, branchy, with rounded crown. An interesting characteristic is the abundant flowering of small yellow flowers which bloom on bare branches in February. The blooming is followed by edible fruits similar to small shiny red olives. Leaves are opposite, ovate-pointed, with 3-5 pairs of ribs. they are dark green, reddish-purple in autumn.

Agronomical environmental features: It is naturally present in hardwoods. It is cultivated since a long time. It grows on any soil.

Use: Once it was widely used in rural hedges. It was planted in gardens for its winter flowering and edible fruits. It can be placed in mixed hedges, groups of plants, rural hedges.