Cornelian Cherry

Common Names: Cornelian cherry, European cornel, Cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornus mas, Cornel, Cornelian, Cornelian cherry tree

Latin Name: Cornus mas

Origin: Asia, Europe

Short Introduction

Growing Cornelian Cherry from seed is a slow process that may take several years before the plant flowers or bears fruit. Cornelian Cherry generally prefers light, warm, neutral to alkaline soils. Its seeds can be collected for sowing until November.

The seeds require double stratification—first cold, then warm. Cold stratification involves placing seeds in moist sand or peat and storing them in a refrigerator at 1–5 °C for 90–120 days, followed by warm stratification at 15–20 °C for another 90 days.

After stratification, seeds are usually sown in pots at a depth of 1–2 cm. Consistent temperature and humidity are essential for proper germination. Once seedlings reach sufficient size, they can be transplanted to larger pots or outdoors.

Detailed Description

A plant prized for its tough wood and diverse medicinal potential.

Botanical Information

Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) is a tall deciduous tree, reaching up to 7 meters in height, or a spreading shrub, found in the warm regions of Europe and Southwest Asia. Its trunk can reach up to 25 cm in diameter at the base. The wood is extremely hard, with dark brown bark that peels off in thin flakes. The oppositely arranged leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, light green, glossy, and covered on both sides with distinctive forked hairs. The leaf veins are pinnate, with 3 to 5 pairs of lateral veins. The leaf stalk is 5–10 mm long, slightly grooved on top.

The plant blooms with yellow flowers, which usually appear around March or April, though they may bloom even earlier. Its inflorescences form umbel-like clusters that open on short branches. The fruit is a bright red, glossy drupe, 1 to 3 centimeters long, containing a grooved, oblong stone colored brown to yellow-brown.

Origin and Distribution

The natural range of Cornelian Cherry covers the warmer zones of Europe to Southwest Asia, with its center of distribution in Asia Minor and nearly the entire Balkan Peninsula. It is considered an ancient cultivated plant and, according to some sources, may not be truly native to Central Europe. The oldest preserved references to the plant date back to around 70 BC. Cornelian Cherry is a thermophilic and drought-tolerant woody plant, typically growing on stony, shallow, and dry soils, often with alkaline substrates.

In Central Europe, including the Czech Republic, it is most common in Central and Northwest Bohemia and Southern and Central Moravia.

Usage / Dosage

The fruits of Cornelian Cherry, sometimes called cornels, are edible and known for their tart-sweet flavor—thanks mostly to their high vitamin C content. Locally, they are eaten fresh as a fruit or made into jams, preserves, syrups, and compotes. Traditionally, in folk medicine, the fruit was used to treat digestive disorders.

Cornelian Cherry is also valued for its ornamental beauty due to its early blooming and vibrant autumn fruits. Its hard wood was historically used to manufacture weaving shuttles, as well as arrows and spears in Ancient Greece.

The seeds have served as a coffee substitute. In Slovakia, the fruit is used to distill a traditional spirit called drienkovica.

Folk medicine

In folk practices, not only the fruit but also the leaves and bark are used. The fruit is widely consumed and popular in Iran, where it is believed to have various healing properties. Cornelian Cherry is also used in folk medicine throughout Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, and British Columbia (Canada), often with a preference for unripe fruit as an astringent.

In Azerbaijan, it is commonly pickled, added to rice dishes, or used to prepare beverages. Armenian tradition includes distilling vodka from the berries. In Romania and Moldova, the berries are made into the alcoholic beverage cornată, while in Bulgaria they are used for sweet compotes. In Iran, the fresh fruit is a favorite summer treat or prepared as an infusion in Araq (raisin vodka).

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the plant is used to maintain jing (essence/vitality). Today, the fruit is becoming popular as a supplement for reducing risk factors associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Cornelian Cherry has a rich history in traditional medicine across the Caucasus, Central Asia, Slovakia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran, where it has been used for thousands of years to address health concerns from sore throats, digestive and infectious diseases, including measles and chickenpox, to liver and kidney problems.

In Slovakia, the fruit is traditionally used for digestive issues, fever, and inflammation. In Turkey and Azerbaijan, various extracts from the leaves, dried fruit, and ground fruit are used for treating diarrhea, gastrointestinal ailments, and hemorrhoids. Across the Caucasus, fresh fruit and seed oil are used for external wounds, stomach ulcers, and intestinal inflammations. In Iran, cornel fruit is mostly used for inflammatory illnesses, malaria, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and cancer.

Evidence-based Medicine

Several in vivo studies have demonstrated the potential health benefits of Cornelian Cherry supplementation, including antidiabetic, anti-obesity, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. A recent meta-analysis focused on lipid profiles in rat models found that supplementation led to significant reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides.

These effects are attributed to the plant’s bioactive compounds, highlighting the potential role of Cornelian Cherry as a dietary supplement or therapeutic agent for managing various cardiometabolic conditions.

Active Compounds

The chemical composition varies considerably with subspecies and region. The fruits are particularly rich in bioactive compounds, including polyphenols (anthocyanins, flavonols, phenolic acids, and tannins), iridoids, and triterpenoids, though these are found in other parts of the plant to a lesser degree. Studies have identified 10 anthocyanins, 19 flavonoids, 4 flavanols, 5 iridoids, 11 phenolic acids and tannins, 1 triterpenoid, 9 monoterpenoids, 10 carotenoids, 4 vitamins, 3 sugars, 8 organic acids, 7 fatty acids, and 10 aliphatic compounds.

Dosage

The dosage of Cornelian Cherry can vary greatly depending on the part of the plant used, the local tradition, the medical condition, and the product form. There is no general dosage guideline; follow the instructions provided with each specific product.