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Cornus mas

Cornejo Macho · Cornelian Cherry · Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Family CornaceaeGenus Cornus

Branches hung with oval fruits ripening from yellow through orange to deep red, against a blue sky
FruitB.navezCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
treePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Shrub, TreePLANTS Database
Height
15-25 ft4.6-7.6 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
15-20 ft4.6-6.1 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Gold/YellowExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
SpringExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia-Slovakia, East Aegean Is. and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
4-8Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow RockyExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
Drought tolerance: LowPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Its wood is so dense that, unlike most wood, it sinks in water. From the seventh century BCE Greek craftsmen made spears, javelins and bows from it. Wikipedia: Cornus mas
  • It flowers in late winter, well before the leaves. The fruit tastes like a mix of cranberry and sour cherry, and is mainly made into jam. Wikipedia: Cornus mas

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 63 days.

67% germination in 63 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Cornus p. 26Public domain
Show the original text
Cornus (Cornaceae). C. mas germ. 70(GA-3)-40(4/6 in 9th w), however the seedlings all rotted. It aiso germ. 2/10 in March 1997 after being placed in OT in October 1995. There is no germination as yet after 2 y. in in 3 m alternating cycles starting at either 40 or 70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Cornus p. 26. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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