Cornus mas Dublany - European Cornel

Cornus mas 'Dublany' is a Bulgarian variety selected for its large, pear-shaped, and particularly tasty red fruits. This small tree or large bush offers a decorative and nectar-rich yellow flowering from the end of winter, followed by a generous fruiting, ripening from late August. The beautiful fruits of this variety measure about 3 cm long. They offer a good balance between sweetness and acidity that reveals their full flavour. They can be eaten raw, dried, or cooked. Cornus mas is a beautiful and easy-to-grow bush. It doesn't mind harsh winters, hot summers, or chalky soils! To reach its full potential, this variety should not lack water before early summer.

Cornus mas is native to Europe. Like all Cornus, it belongs to the Cornaceae family. It is a spreading bush that reaches a height ranging from 3 to 5 metres at maturity, with the same width. It thrives in sunlight and is undemanding: it grows very well in chalky, ordinary, or even poor soil, but also tolerates slightly more acidic soils.

Its bright yellow flowers appear in February-March, before the leaves, in the form of numerous small umbels. It is a flowering that will not mind frost. Its deciduous leaves are ovate, 4 to 10 cm long, and arranged opposite each other on its square-sectioned branches. They are slightly wavy. Fruiting occurs in late summer, in September, in the form of elongated drupes of variable colour depending on the selection. They are edible, with a more or less acidic or sweet taste.

In the kitchen:

Cornelian cherries are naturally rich in vitamin C, minerals, and pectin. They can be eaten raw, dried, or cooked. They can be used in compotes mixed with cranberries and pears to accompany game. They can also be frozen. These fruits also give a delicious syrup with a high vitamin content. They have been used for centuries to make jams, jellies, and compotes. It is usually necessary to add sugar.

Cornus mas is also renowned for its dense and very hard wood, used in the past to make arrows, javelins, tool handles or walking sticks.

It is a very easy bush to use in the garden. Tolerating pruning, it can be planted as an informal or trimmed hedge, or even as a specimen plant. It easily pairs with other spring-flowering shrubs such as Japanese Quinces or Korean White Forsythia. It is ornamental, but it is also appreciated for its ecological interest: its early flowering provides food for the first bees and other pollinators, and its fruits are loved by birds.