The cornel was an important type of fruit in earlier times 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, together with the medlar (Mespilus germanica), was considered an important fruit tree, but was forgotten 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 as well as 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. 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 roughly 2 cm large, oval-round, edible fruits of the cornelian cherry 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 produces 20 to 40 kg per bush and up to 70 kg per year on old plants.
The most popular varieties of cornel
Cornelian cherries have been cultivated for more than 100 years, nowadays primarily at the HBLFA Schönbrunn in Vienna and at the Institute for Fruit Breeding in Bojnice in Slovakia, as well as 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 characteristics.
- 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 by HBLFA Schönbrunn with very sweet, pear-shaped, 3 cm large fruits and a yield of 15 to 25 kg per bush.
- ˈYellowˈ: Yellow cornelian cherry that ripens very early from mid-August and produces about 2 cm large, milder and less sour-tasting fruits. Very good pollinator for all yellow cornel varieties.
Tip: The Japanese cornel (Cornus officinalis) looks confusingly similar, which was planted about a week before Cornus mas flowers and the young shoots are brown instead of green-red. But this Far Eastern species also produces edible red fruits and offers pretty autumn colours.
Planting cornelian cherries: location and procedure
The ideal location for the cornelian cherry is sunny to semi-shady. She loves warmth and reaches well in sheltered locationsamazing sizes. 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 strongly 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 cornus 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. The slow-growing cornelian cherries should be set free here so that they have more space and are not overgrown.
The 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 a distance of at least 2 m should be kept to neighboring plants.
First, a large planting hole is dug and the cornelian cherry is placed in it together with the root ball. For a good nutrient supply, mix the excavated soil with mature compost or a predominantly organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura universal fertilizer in organic quality. Since the nutrients contained in the granules, such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus, are released only slowly over a period of several months, they gently and sustainably support the cornelian cherry in the growth phase. 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 plentifully and effectivelyto be able to water.
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 freezes through with the soil and suffers major damage.
Planting cornelian cherries at a glance:
- Sunny to partially shaded location in a sheltered location
- Preferred pH: 7.4 and above
- Best planting time: October to mid-November
- Plant spacing when planting hedges: approx. 40 cm
- Planting distance for single planting: at least 2 m to neighboring plants
- Dig a big hole and put cornel in it
- Mix the excavated soil with long-term fertilizer and distribute around the plant
- Press the soil and water extensively
- Model a casting ring when planting in spring
- Due to the limited space, planting in containers 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 retains 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. To do this, work some mature compost or slow-release fertilizer on an organic basis, such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer, around the surface of the plant. Microorganisms in the soil break down the granules over time, releasing plant-available nutrients.
Cut cornelian cherry
Cornelian cherries do not necessarily have to be cut if there is enough space. The flowers develop on one-year-old wood. That's why you have to with a strongexpect a crop failure. However, the plants themselves tolerate pruning measures such as thinning out well, and the height and width of the large shrubs can also be limited by regular pruning, which is an advantage in hedges. 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.
Cornelian: diseases and pests
The Cornelian cherry is hardly attacked by pests, individual leaves are mined by caterpillars. Brown spots on the leaves of the cornel and other dogwood plants are often found, caused by fungi such as Septoria or bacteria such as Pseudomonas syringae, but these are rare 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 significantly higher than the infestation with pathogens.
Propagate Cornelian Cherry
The wild form of the cornelian cherry can be propagated via its seeds. However, this has a very long and stable dormancy and it is also about cold germs, which usually only germinate after two winters. For the sake of simplicity, the cultivation takes place outdoors. In late autumn, dig bought or self-gathered seeds about 3 to 5 cm deep in the bed, mark the spot and be patient until the first seedlings appear next spring at the earliest.
A significantly faster method of propagation, also for varieties, is rooting cuttings. In early summer, after the flowering period of the cornelian cherry, cut 10 to 15 cm long shoot cuttings from the still soft, just woody new growth of the same year and stick them deep into moistened potting soil, half of which has been mixed with sand. Our Plantura herb and seed soil is ideal for this because it is low in nutrient s alts, 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 warm, light and moist for the next two to three weeksstanding, ideal is 15 to 20 °C and a translucent cover that maintains a high level of 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: 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 cornel cherries ripen well, which can be particularly encouraged by warmth.Ripe cornel cherries are suitable as a he althy 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 compotes. AroundTo make the wild fruit durable 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 wild fruit species 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.