Dogwood, Cornel wood, Bloodtwig, Cornel dogwood, Dogberry, Pegwood
Cornus sanguinea

Family: Cornaceae

What it is like

A deciduous shrub. It grows 4.5 m tall. The shoots are red-green. The leaves are narrowly oval and pale green and hairy. They have 3-4 main veins. They have short stalks. The leaves turn red-purple in autumn. The flowers are white and have a scent. They are 8-10 mm across. They occur in dense clusters. The fruit are blue-black. They are round and 5-8 mm across.

There are about 45 Cornus species. The seeds yield a fatty oil.

Where it is found

Temperate. It grows in woodland and on the edges of ditches and roadsides. It is best in calcareous soils. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. Melbourne Botanical gardens. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Balkans, Britain, Central Asia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Europe (country/location of origin), Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Macedonia, Mediterranean, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkey, Türkiye

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack. They are also used for jam and syrup.

Edible parts

Fruit, oil

How it is grown

It can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Kiren, Komppuu, Kontpuu, Rdeči dren, Sanguinelo, Somfa

Synonyms

Cordia latifolia Bray; Cornus sylvestris Bubani; Swida sanguinea (L.) Opiz; Thelycrania sanguinea (L.) Fourr.; and others