Side by side
Cornelian cherry or common dogwood? How to tell them apart
Cornus mas · Cornus sanguinea
How to tell them apart – cornelian cherry: flowers yellow before the leaves and bears red fruits; common dogwood: shrub with red twigs in winter and leaf veins that curve towards the tip.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. TeunSpaans assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Cornelian cherry Cornus mas
How do you recognise them?
- Cornelian cherry
- Flowers as early as February–March, with small yellow flowers on bare branches; red, edible fruits.
- Compared with common dogwood: flowers yellow before the leaves and bears red fruits.
- Common dogwood
- Shrub with red twigs in winter and leaf veins that curve towards the tip.
| Cornelian cherry | Common dogwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, oval with a pointed tip, 4–10 cm, untoothed, with curved veins. | Opposite, oval, 4–8 cm, untoothed, with curved veins. Tear a leaf gently and thin white threads stay hanging between the pieces. Wine-red autumn colour. |
| Flowering | Little clusters of yellow flowers on the bare branches, February–March (February–March). | Flat heads of small white flowers in June (May–June). |
| Fruit | Glossy red, olive-shaped cornelian cherries (August–September), edible when fully ripe. | Bluish-black berries, not edible. |
| Bark | Greyish-brown and flaking. | Twigs blood-red on the sunny side, especially in winter. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 3–6 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | March–April and August | February–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
Read on
- Plant profile: Cornelian cherry
- Plant profile: Common dogwood
- Cornelian cherry: when and how to prune
- Common dogwood: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.