Cornus mas Happy Face - European Cornel

Cornus mas 'Happy Face' is a particularly ornamental variety. This small tree has delicately variegated cream-white foliage that forms a beautiful backdrop for its bright red fruiting in late summer. From the end of winter, its bare branches are covered in a generous yellow flowering, much to the delight of bees. Its foliage takes on beautiful shades of orange to red in autumn. The fruits of this variety resemble cherries. They are slightly oval, of medium size, and have a tangy flavour. Gardeners can harvest them from mid-September to make jellies or pick them from the tree. Cornus mas is easy to grow: it doesn't mind harsh winters, hot summers, or chalky soils!

Cornus mas is native to Europe. Like all Cornus, it belongs to the Cornaceae family. It is a spreading shrub that reaches a 3 to 5 metres high at maturity, with an equal spread. 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 is not damaged by 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 selections. They are edible, with a more or less tangy or sweet flavour.

In the kitchen:

Cornelian cherries are naturally rich in vitamin C, minerals, and pectin. They can be eaten raw or dried, similar to goji berries, but can also be cooked. They are used in compotes mixed with cranberries and pears to accompany game. They can be frozen. These fruits also make 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 shrub to use in the garden. Tolerating pruning, it can be planted as an informal or trimmed hedge, or even as a standalone plant. It easily pairs with other spring-flowering shrubs such as Japanese Quinces or Korean White Forsythia. It is ornamental and 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.