North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

On Apr 3, 2011, at 12:26 PM, Ginda Fisher wrote:
>> On Apr 1, 2011, at 3:09 AM, Steven Covacci wrote:
>> 
>>> Group: 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> CORNELIAN CHERRY [C. mas] - 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I'm looking for a recommendation for a cultivar (selected for edibility) 
>>> for cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas); and perhaps scionwood or a 
>>> nursery that carries the cultivar.
>>> 
>> 
>> I have three C. mas, Jolico, Elegant, and something else whose name tag is 
>> currently buried in the snow.  One of these (not Jolico) has fruited.  I 
>> thought it was delicious.  It was tasty but extremely sour when red and 
>> firm, and sweeter and less sour and more richly flavored when it got soft.
>> 
>> It took several years for the trees to fruit, and the one that finally did 
>> fruit two years ago decided not to this year.  I think one of the others 
>> had female flowers last year, and might even have set a fruit or two, but 
>> if it did it dropped them early in the season.  So in my experience, this 
>> crop takes a lot of patience.
>> 
>> Mine are growing in the shade, though, so perhaps you'd get fruit faster 
>> in the sun.
>> 
> I got out and checked today, the third one (and the one that's fruited) is 
> Pioneer.  It and Elegant are older than the Jolico by a few years.  The 
> Elegant is the prettiest tree.
> 
> Despite bits of snow still on the ground, the Cornus Mas is about to 
> flower, the buds are about half open.

Update:  I got ONE fruit from the Elegant this summer. As far as I can tell, 
it looks and tastes exactly the same as the Pioneer. I picked them slightly 
under-ripe (hey, the squirrels hadn't eaten them yet) and they were sweet, 
sour, just barely bitter, and delicious. I am fond of sour fruit, and don't 
care for apples that lack tartness, for example, so YMMV. 

I'm not getting much fruit off these trees, but any fruit from a tree grown 
in full shade feels like a win to me.


Ginda
Eastern MA, zone 6