Cornus mas Alosza - European Cornel

Cornus mas 'Alosza', also marketed under the name 'Alesha', is a variety of cornelian cherry selected in Ukraine for its quality and early fruiting. This small tree or large bush offers a decorative and nectar-rich yellow flowering from the end of winter, followed by tasty oval, yellow fruits, ripening in the first half of August. The cornels of this variety weigh between 3.5 and 5 grams, they are tasty, with a sweet and sugary 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 fulfil its potential, this variety should not lack water before early summer.

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

Its bright yellow flowers appear in February-March, before the leaves, in the form of numerous small umbels, undamaged 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 acidic or sweet taste.

In the kitchen:

Cornels are naturally rich in vitamin C, minerals, and pectin. They can be eaten raw or dried, similar to goji berries, or 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 specimen 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.