Cornus officinalis
Japanese Cornel Dogwood

Cornus officinalis - Overall Tree in Summer

Family:

Cornaceae (Dogwood Family) 40

Genus:

Cornus (Dogwood) 40

Plant Type:

Shrub/Tree 76

Growth Forms:

Spreading / Branched 76

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 5 234

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 794

Flower Notes:

Yellow (Yellow flowers in March before leaves, each 0.06" together on 0.75" umbels, quite effective so early in spring)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Summer); Red-Violet (Usually not outstanding purplish-red leaves in the fall, often drop green early)

Fruit Notes:

Red (Bright red, slightly oblong fruits (0.5" wide) emerging in the fall, often partially hidden by foliage; edible, but astringent)

Ultimate Height:

15-25 feet

Ultimate Spread:

15-25 feet

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Prefers rich, well-drained soils, although very adaptable relative to other dogwoods

Range:

Japan, Korea

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves opposite, simple, ovate to elliptic, 2-4.75" long, 5-7 pairs of veins, dark green above. Dogwood veins sweep toward, but never contact, leaf margin. Similar to C. mas except C. officinalis pedicels are twice the length, flowers emerge earlier, fruits ripen later, and there are brown tufts of hair on the leaf underside along the vein axils.

Special Characteristics:

Flowering Characteristics 353

Fruiting Characteristics 151

Additional Information

The Japanese Cornel Dogwood is a large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree of oval rounded outline, usually branching to the ground. No serious disease problems, although it sometimes suckers abundantly. These suckers should be removed to control spread; this is especially important if maintaining this plant in tree form. Closely related to Cornus mas, but tends to have more attractive bark, is more open in habit, flowers one to two weeks earlier, and is slightly less cold hardy.