European Cornel / Corneliancherry Dogwood - Cornus mas

Habitat

• native to central and southern Europe and parts of western Asia

Habit and Form

• a small, deciduous tree

• reaching 20' tall or slightly larger

• shape is rounded

• branching is upright and spreading

• dense and compact branching

• typically multistemmed with a very short main trunk

Summer Foliage

• opposite, simple leaves

• leaves are 2" to 4" long and 0.75" to 1.5" wide

• petioles are quite short

• leaf color is dark green

• leaf surface is glossy

• overall, summer foliage is of high quality 

Flowers

• small yellow flowers in rounded clusters

• flower clusters are numerous

• blooms in late March or early April

• for the early bloom time, flowering is quite showy

Fruit

• bright red fruits shaped like an olive

• between 0.5" to 1" long and about 0.5" wide

• fruit color develops in mid summer

• can be eaten when color becomes dark red or maroon

Bark

• showy exfoliating bark

• a scaly mix of gray and tan

• not stunning, but relatively attractive

Usage:

The cornel has a very valuable fruit, from which – especially to wild meat – an excellent jam can be produced. It contains C-vitamin about 200mg/100g, and it is rich in carotine.

Marmalade, syrup, jam, stewed fruit, and wine are made from the fruit too.

The unseasoned crop – just like the olive – has been conserved in salty or vinegary water with caraway seeds from the ancient times. The fruit added to wine-vinegar can replace the caper. The cured version is eaten with big game meat.

Healing effects:

Agents: sugar, pectin, C-vitamin, apple-acid, dye substance, odour substance.

The dried cornel which is boiled in water (1 liter of cornel boiled in 2 liters of water) then held and fermented for 24 hours in sunny or warm place in a closed jar, can be used as beverage (1-2 deciliters per day) against dysentery or blood spit.

From its crops a brew can be made against diarrhoea.

Immunsystem restorative, inflammation reducer. It helps the body’s regenerative and cell recovering process, boosts the resistance against harmful effects.

From the barks of the branches fever reducing tincture can be made.

The leaves of the cornel brewed in good quality mellow helps with disappearing of moles, in case the affected member is washed with the brew many times.

Sponsors:

Ministry of National Resources

University of Szeged

KEFAG Zrt.

Future of Europe Association