Illustration
Cornelian Cherry
Cornus mas
Cornelian Cherry blooms from March through March.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Cornelian Cherry
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 20 ft tall and 16 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 12 years (a house reading).
Pets
- No toxic listing found for dogs and cats in the sources we check.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Cornelian Cherry
Plant Cornelian Cherry in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms in March.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Cornelian Cherry get?
20 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult16 ftwideSee Cornelian Cherry in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Cornelian Cherry
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give Cornelian Cherry about 16 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add Cornelian Cherry to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Cornelian Cherry's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 10 published sources on October 21, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- NC State Extensionheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- The Morton Arboretumheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- University of Illinois Extensionheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- dancingoaks.comDancing Oaks Nursery and Gardensheight, spread, sun, water and bloom months and color
- Iowa State University Extensionand Outreachheight, spread, hardiness zones and bloom months and color
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societysun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- trees.umn.eduUniversity of Minnesotaheight, spread, hardiness zones and bloom months and color
- woodyplants.cals.cornell.eduCornell Universityheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and water
- Chicago Botanic Gardenhardiness zones, sun and bloom months and color
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Cornelian Cherry
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
The bitter red fruit is not for eating; USDA calls it poisonous to humans. per USDA
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.