Can you tell me how to grow Cornelian cherry? Do I need more than one tree to get fruit? Also, what kind of soil and fertilizer does it need?
Cornelian cherry, or Cornus mas, is not especially fussy about type of soil, but prefers well-drained moist soil that is somewhat rich. According to Lee Reich’s Landscaping with Fruit (Storey, 2009), the tree is at least partly self-fruitful, but planting a second tree (a different cultivar or clone) will increase fruit yield. I don’t think there are particular fertilizer needs for this tree, but you can provide a mulch of compost in spring or fall if you wish. Reich says to “plant this tree carefully, keep weeds at bay at least for the first few seasons, water as needed during the first season and you’ll have little else to do for your tree beyond enjoying looking at it and harvesting the fruits.”
The local website of Great Plant Picks has information about this tree.
Washington State University at Mount Vernon’s fruit research center offers a list of cultivars tested in 2007:
Cornus mas
- “Elegant”
- “Olga”
- “Pioneer”
- “Red Star”
- “Sevetok”
- “Yevgenii”