Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Cornelian cherry dogwood is a deciduous shrub or small tree grown for yellow flowers on bare branches and tart, edible red fruit. This species is useful where an early-season display and summer harvest can share space with a hedge or mixed border. ## Landscape Use and Seasonal Interest Clusters of small yellow flowers open from late winter into early spring, before the leaves appear. Dark red fruit ripens in midsummer; the foliage is usually green and yellow in autumn, sometimes with reddish-purple tones. Use it in a shrub border, hedge, screen, or naturalized woodland planting. ## Size and Siting Allow for a mature plant about 15–25 feet tall and 15–20 feet wide. Full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained, rich soil suit the species. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. ## Soil and Water Keep young plants watered as they establish. The species tolerates varied conditions, but avoid persistently dry soil during establishment. ## Maintenance Cornus mas can produce suckers; remove them promptly when you want to limit spread or maintain a tree form. The fruit is edible and can be used in jams and jellies. [North Carolina Extension](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-mas/) and [Iowa State University Extension](https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/what-are-cornelian-cherries) describe its flowers, fruit, mature size, and landscape uses; [Oregon State University](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/cornus-mas) reports its hardiness and growing conditions.