Side by side
Forsythia or cornelian cherry? How to tell them apart
Forsythia · Cornus mas
You can tell a forsythia by its large, bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers along the bare branches in March–April; a Cornelian cherry flowers as early as February–March with much smaller yellow flowers in little balls and later carries red, edible fruits.
Both turn yellow on bare branches at the end of winter. Look at the flowers: large, bright yellow bells of 2–3 cm on the forsythia, clouds of tiny, pale yellow flowers in little balls on the Cornelian cherry. The Cornelian cherry also flowers a few weeks earlier.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. TeunSpaans assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Cornelian cherry Cornus mas
| Forsythia | Cornelian cherry | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, lance-shaped, 5–10 cm, toothed; sometimes trifoliate. | Opposite, oval with a pointed tip, 4–10 cm, untoothed, with curved veins. |
| Flowering | Bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers along the bare branches, March–April (March–April). | Little clusters of yellow flowers on the bare branches, February–March (February–March). |
| Fruit | Small capsules (rarely). | Glossy red, olive-shaped cornelian cherries (August–September), edible when fully ripe. |
| Bark | Yellowish-brown with lenticels; twigs hollow or chambered. | Greyish-brown and flaking. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 2–3 m | Shrub, 3–6 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | April–May | March–April and August |
The best feature in each season
- Spring
- The Cornelian cherry flowers first, in February–March, and is then one of the very first sources of food for bees. The forsythia follows in March–April, but offers hardly any nectar or pollen.
- Summer
- The leaves look alike: opposite and oval. The Cornelian cherry leaf is smooth-edged, with curved veins running towards the tip; the forsythia leaf is toothed.
- Autumn
- The Cornelian cherry carries glossy red, olive-shaped fruits in August–September, edible when fully ripe; the forsythia rarely bears fruit.
- Winter
- Cut a twig: hollow or chambered on the forsythia, solid on the Cornelian cherry. The Cornelian cherry already has round flower buds on short stalks, ready to open.
Where do they grow?
The Cornelian cherry is native and grows along woodland edges and in copses, mainly on chalky soil in southern Belgium, and is also planted in many gardens. The forsythia comes from China and Korea and grows only in gardens and parks.
Which one for your garden?
- For bees the Cornelian cherry is far better: it flowers earlier and offers real nectar and pollen, and birds eat its fruits. It grows into a large shrub or small tree of 3–6 m, also lovely as an informal hedge.
- If you keep a forsythia, pair it with a Cornelian cherry or willows, so that bees have something to eat in March. Prune the forsythia after flowering.
Did you know? Ripe Cornelian cherries make jam or liqueur; in central Europe and Turkey they are a well-known fruit.
Read on
- Plant profile: Forsythia
- Plant profile: Cornelian cherry
- Forsythia: when and how to prune
- Cornelian cherry: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
- Forsythia or Japanese kerria
- Forsythia or winter hazel
- Forsythia or winter jasmine
- Cornelian cherry or common dogwood