Cornus officinalis - Japanese Cornelian Cherry

Cornus officinalis, also known as the Cornelian cherry, is interesting all year round. Within the large family of dogwoods, this Asian species stands out, just like its European cousin Cornus mas, with its yellow and fragrant flowering that often accompanies the beautiful days of February. With a beautiful tree-like habit, this bush also displays a remarkable bark, which peels off to reveal new cinnamon to orange-coloured skin. Its beautiful red and edible berries, called cornels, adorn a foliage that turns red in the autumn. Easy to grow in ordinary soil, low maintenance, and not too big, it deserves a place in a natural garden, even a small one.

The Cornelian cherry is a large deciduous shrub native to China and Korea, long introduced into Japanese gardens. It grows quite fast and has a tree-like habit, composed of one or several short trunks and a bushy, open crown, slightly taller than wide. At maturity, it will reach an average height of 12m (39 ft 5 in) and a spread of 3m (9 ft 10 in) in our gardens, sometimes up to 4m (13 ft 1 in). Flowering occurs in the heart of winter or at the end of winter depending on the climate. On the bare branches, at the axil of the foliar buds, clusters of small, very fragrant yellow flowers with 4 petals appear. After pollination, they give way to small fleshy, purple-red, edible fruits. The branches bear entire, ovate leaves with a pointed apex, crossed by 7 prominent veins. They are light green in colour from spring to summer, then take on beautiful shades ranging from yellow-orange to bright red, especially when the shrub is exposed to the sun. Finally, the gray-beige bark peels strongly, revealing cinnamon to orange-coloured bark plates.

This Asiatic dogwood is a beautiful and easy-to-care-for shrub that adds life to the garden in winter. It is not picky about soil type and only requires a sunny exposure to be happy. While it may not deserve to be isolated on a lawn, it will be at its best slightly away from and in front of other shrubs. To accompany it, you can choose summer-flowering shrubs like a large botanical rose, a mock orange, or a butterfly bush. Its moderate growth suits small spaces well, and it requires very little care. All these characteristics make it an excellent shrub for a natural garden.