Virginia Tech Dendrology

Cornelian cherry dogwood Cornaceae Cornus mas L. symbol: COMA21
Leaf: Opposite, simple, ovate to elliptical, entire with arcuate veins, 2 1/2 to 5 inches long, dark green above, lighter below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; small (1/8 inch) yellow, in tight small (1 inch across) clusters, very numerous, appearing before the leaves in early spring.
Fruit: Elongated, bright red drupe, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, ripening in late summer.
Twig: Slender, glabrous, purplish red and green, turn brown the second year, pith white, leaf buds slender and pointed, flower buds much larger and round.
Bark: Dark gray to reddish brown, scaly, curling, exfoliating patches.
Form: Large, multi-stemmed shrub, 15 to 25 feet in height with about equal spread.
Looks like: forsythia

Additional Range Information: Cornus mas is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information