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NAME: Cornelian Cherry

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Cornus Mas / Cornaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

CONDITIONS: sun-partial shade, moist soil
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves
Stalk/Stem
Buds
Flowers
Fruits		acid/plum	RAW/DRY/COOK	Sep/Oct
Pods
Seeds		coffee	ROAST	Fall
Nuts
Roots
Bark

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT: Fruit - raw, dried or used in preserves. Juicy, with a nice acid flavour. The fully ripe fruit has a somewhat plum-like flavour and texture and is very nice eating, but the unripe fruit is rather astringent. It is rather low in pectin and so needs to be used with other fruit when making jam. At one time the fruit was kept in brine and used like olives. The fruit is a reasonable size, up to 15mm long, with a single large seed. A small amount of edible oil can be extracted from the seeds. Seeds are roasted, ground into a powder and used as a coffee substitute.(1)

 

CAUTION:

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Astringent;  Febrifuge;  Nutritive. The bark and the fruit are astringent, febrifuge and nutritive. The astringent fruit is a good treatment for bowel complaints and fevers, whilst it is also used in the treatment of cholera. The flowers are used in the treatment of diarrhoea.(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: An oil is obtained from the seed. A dye is obtained from the bark. No more details are given. Another report says that a red dye is obtained from the plant, but does not say which part of the plant. The leaves are a good source of tannin. Wood - very hard, it is highly valued by turners. The wood is heavier than water and does not float. It is used for tools, machine parts, etc. (1)

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Cornus+mas
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_mas
3. http://uncommonfruit.cias.wisc.edu/cornelian-cherry
4. https://druidgarden.wordpress.com/category/fruit