It captivates us at the end of winter with its golden-yellow flowers on shoots that are still leafless. At the end of summer, the cornelian cherry presents us with bright red fruits over lush green foliage that changes color impressively in autumn. These answers to frequently asked questions will tell you how to skillfully cultivate this floral feast for the eyes with the tart fruits.
What characterizes the cornelian cherry as a garden plant?
The cornelian cherry is an attractive wild fruit tree that delights with golden yellow flowers in spring and bright red fruits in late summer. It prefers sunny locations, humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil and requires little care, regular watering in the first few years and light pruning after flowering.
Planting cornelian cherries correctly
Professional planting sets the stage for a cornelian cherry to develop its charismatic aura in the garden. Therefore, pay attention to the following workflow:
- Weed the humus-nutrient-rich soil in a sunny location in autumn and loosen it thoroughly
- Dig a planting pit with twice the volume of the root ball
- Mix the excavation with compost (€10.00 on Amazon), horn shavings, bark humus or leaf mold
- Remove the growing pot to bury the plant in the middle as deeply as before
- Plant a pollinator variety in close proximity using this method
Tread the soil firmly without applying too much pressure. In the last step, water thoroughly and spread a layer of mulch.read more
Care tips
With a targeted care program, the cornelian cherry gains a fascinating presence in your garden over the years. We have summarized all relevant measures for you below:
- In the first few years, water regularly in dry conditions
- Water adult shrubs and trees only during summer drought
- In autumn, fertilize organically with compost and horn shavings
- Spread a nutrient-providing mulch layer of leaves, compost or bark mulch and keep it fresh
- Prune if necessary immediately after flowering
- Carefully thin out the bush or the crown every 2 to 3 years
Explicit wintering is not necessary. Nevertheless, a protective layer of leaves and coniferous twigs makes sense in the planting year, as the frost hardiness has not yet fully developed.
Which location is suitable?
If the cornelian cherry finds a sunny location, this advantage is rewarded with abundant flowers and lush fruit. The wild fruit tree also thrives in partial shade, as long as it can get at least 4 hours of sunlight every day. The shrub proves to be tolerant of the soil conditions. It likes to extend its roots in nutrient-rich, humus-rich, fresh and permeable soil, which ranges from slightly acidic to neutral to slightly calcareous.read more
The correct planting distance
Cultivated as a shrub, the cornelian cherry develops a sprawling habit that almost corresponds to its height. So that the ornamental tree can develop unhindered, we recommend planting 1 specimen for every 4 square meters of garden space. Please ensure a distance of at least 200 cm from neighboring property and traffic routes. If the shrub is in a natural hedge, you are correct with a distance of 150-200 cm between the plants. The pollinator variety does not necessarily have to be cultivated as a plant neighbor. It is sufficient if it is within the garden.
What soil does the plant need?
The cornelian cherry thrives in fresh, moist, humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil. Primarily, the soil should be deep and loosely structured so that the roots can establish themselves unhindered. It is beneficial for growth, abundance of flowers and fruit if the pH value is in the neutral to slightly acidic range.
What is the best time to plant?
Autumn is the best time to welcome the new guest in the garden. Choose a dry, overcast day between late August and early November. At this time the soil is deeply warmed and offers the young roots excellent growing conditions. As long as the ground is not frozen, there is nothing wrong with planting trees. During a mild winter, this can also be the case in December, January or February.
When is flowering time?
The flowering period of a cornelian cherry extends from March to April. If the weather conditions are favorable, the flower festival begins at the end of February. However, the sword of Damocles of frozen buds constantly hovers over such an early blossom. To ensure that the flowers are not damaged, wrap the crown in jute or garden fleece overnight when frost is forecast.
Cut cornelian cherries correctly
As a classic early bloomer, cut the cornelian cherry into shape immediately after flowering. Proceed as cautiously as possible, as with every cut the seed heads could fall victim to the fruit covering. How to do it right:
- Immediately after flowering, shorten shoots that are too long by a maximum of a third
- Make each cut just above an outward-facing eye
- At the same time, thoroughly remove dead wood and stunted growth from the bush or the crown
- Always cut entire branches on the main trunk to a string, cut them close to the ground on the bush
So that the shrub does not go bald from the inside, it should be thinned out thoroughly at least every 2-3 years. An old farmer's rule says that a hat thrown into the woods should ultimately fall through to the ground.read more
Watering cornelian cherries
In the first few years of life, a young cornelian cherry depends on a regular supply of water. Older, well-rooted trees regulate their water balance largely self-sufficiently. Water the shrub regularly until it is five years old if the soil has dried out. It is an advantage if you water thoroughly 2 to 3 times a week during dry summer periods instead of using the watering can every day. Let the water hose run for 20 to 30 minutes without causing harmful waterlogging. A regularly renewed layer of bark mulch or leaves keeps the soil moist and warm for longer.
Fertilize cornelian cherries properly
In order to provide the early-flowering cornelian cherry with sufficient nutrients at the start of the season, it receives a well-measured portion of compost with horn shavings in autumn. This makes sense in that organic fertilizers only start working at temperatures well above 10 degrees Celsius. The administration of natural fertilizer in February or March is therefore pointless. If the fruits are intended for consumption, we advise against using complete mineral fertilizers, as the chemical components can accumulate in the pulp.
Wintering
The cornelian cherry is completely hardy and does not require any special precautions for the winter. During the planting year, we still recommend spreading a protective layer of bark mulch, compost or leaf mold over the root disk. In addition, the buds and flowers are protected with a breathable hood from late winter onwards when the grim frost hits.
Propagate cornelian cherries
To propagate a wild fruit tree such as the cornelian cherry, you can choose from the following approaches:
- Cut head cuttings in April/May and let them root in the pot
- Pull the side shoots to the ground to lower them, cover them in the middle with soil, fix them and wait for the roots to form
- Cut the cuttings in autumn, plant them in the ground, cover them with leaves and let them root
Sowing the seeds from the pulp is also possible, although not recommended for the hobby garden. In order to break the germination inhibition, stratification is required. However, it can take several months for the cotyledons to appear. It takes up to 5 years for a cornelian cherry propagated from seedlings to bloom for the first time.read more
Is cornelian cherry poisonous?
The cornelian cherry is the ideal wild fruit tree for the family garden as it contains no harmful ingredients. On the contrary, the pea-sized stone fruits are even edible, but have a very sour aroma. When prepared with plenty of sugar, the red fruits are then transformed into refreshing jelly, delicious jam or invigorating liqueur.read more
Cornelian cherry does not bloom
It is so devastating when the longed-for spring blossoms of a cornelian cherry fail to materialize. We have compiled the most common causes of this shortcoming with tips for resolving them here:
- Cause: Pruning at the wrong time. Solution: Shorten the cornelian cherry only after flowering
- Cause: Frozen buds. Solution: From the end of January, cover the branches with fleece when it freezes
- Cause: lack of light. Solution: Plant the shrub in a sunny to shady location
- Cause: drought stress. Solution: Keep young shrubs and standard trunks evenly moist in the first few years
If it is a seedling-propagated specimen, a long process of patience is required until the first flowering occurs. After 2-3 years at the earliest - usually even later - the cornelian cherry puts on its first flowers.read more
How do I train the cornelian cherry to be a standard tree?
So that the wild fruit tree develops into a magnificent house tree, take the first steps during planting. The strongest shoot is chosen to become the future trunk. All other branches are cut off. If the main shoot already has side shoots, these are cut off at Astring. To protect against wind throw, use a support post that you drive into the ground and connect it to the trunk with raffia or sisal. As the main shoot gains height, consistently remove all side shoots and water shoots while leaving the top untouched. Once the trunk has reached the desired height, cut the tip to start the branching to the crown.
Beautiful varieties
- Jolico: Popular variety with golden yellow flowers and vitamin-rich, deep red fruits from September over colorful foliage
- Schönbrunner Gourmet Dirndl: This magnificent variety delivers the tastiest cornelles with a sour-sweet aroma
- Japanese cornelian cherry: It blooms from the end of February on leafless branches in a wonderful yellow
- Macrocarpa: Gifts us with the largest fruits, which are pear-shaped and taste less sour
- Variegata: A firework of colors with yellow flowers, red cornelles and white-edged green leaves
- Mascula: Acts as an eye-catching pollinator variety with profuse flowering from the first or second year
