Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) — we are just starting to get to know the Cornelian Cherry. I had never seen one flowering until a few years ago, when I saw a tree nearby loaded with yellow flowers very early in spring. They seemed to last for weeks!
Despite the name, the Cornelian Cherry is actually a dogwood! Once you get to know it you’ll see it more and more. It is a rugged plant that is not so picky about where it is planted. The red fruit ranges , with many named varieties from Eastern Europe, and used in many traditional cultures around the world (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_mas). The seeds take two seasons to germinate so having these seedlings is really a prize!
What Are Seedlings?
Seedlings are plants that have been grown directly from a seed. They are genetic individuals whose traits that are not exactly known. Seedlings are in contrast with plants which have been cloned, as cloned plants are sure to have certain characteristics.
Often seedlings share characteristics with their parents, but exactly how much is shared depends on the species of plant. Having good parents certainly doesn’t hurt!
