Cornus Mas L. Cultivar Selection Based on Hardiness and Propagation

Abstract

Cornus mas (Cornelian cherry) is a deciduous shrub/small tree native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. It is unique among the Cornaceae (dogwood) family in that the fruit is used for human consumption and is highly nutritious and contains high amounts of antioxidants and anthocyanins. While this plant has many desirable fruiting and ornamental characteristics, it has seen limited use in North America. Several of these desirable characteristics are low disease and pest incidence, fruit qualities, and early yet long-lasting flowers. With limited use in North America, hardiness speculations are based on only a few individual plants. In this document, artificial freeze tests were conducted to better understand hardiness of the species and how vulnerable plants are when coming out of dormancy in the spring. Propagation methods (micropropagation, in vitro and ex vitro rooting of plantlets, and grafting) were also evaluated to determine the optimal method of growing cultivars.