Cornus officinalis seed

Cornus officinalis
Also known as: Japanese Cornel Dogwood, Japanese Cornelian Cherry, and Kintoki

Here is an excellent selection providing year round interest with its vibrant flowers and attractive bark. It is a native to china, Japan and Korea. It usually grows as a large, spreading, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub to 15-25’ tall. It also may be trained and grown as a small tree. The new growth flushes as green and glossy then transitions to crimson red in the fall. This dogwood blooms about 2 week sooner than Cornus mas varieties. Beautiful clusters of bright yellow flowers are produced in the spring on multicolored exfoliating bark and are said to make excellent cut flowers. Expect juicy red fruits in the summer, which not only add more valuable color, but are edible too!

Cornelian cherry juices are rich in potassium, calcium, sodium, iron, zinc, manganese, and copper. Compared to other juices obtained from plum, pear, and apple, Cornelian cherry juice contained higher levels of dietary minerals. Cornus berries have a long history of use in a variety of medicinal tonics, including those used to treat excessive urination, incontinence, excessive sweating, excessive menstrual bleeding, decreased erectile function and premature ejaculation. Cornus is also an ingredient in formulas that treat ringing of the ears (tinnitus), poor hearing, blurred vision, dizziness, shock and trauma, and a wide range of other conditions.

Grow in acidic, organically rich, medium moisture, well drained soils in full sun to part shade. Some afternoon shade is appreciated in hot summer climates. Best performance occurs in cool summer climates. Provide consistent moisture and mulch root zone.