Cornus officinalis
Common name: 
Japanese Cornelian Dogwood
Korean Cornelian Dogwood
Chinese Cornelian Dogwood
Pronunciation: 
KOR-nus o-fis-i-NA-lis
Family: 
Cornaceae
Genus: 
Cornus
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous multistemed shrub or small tree, to 30+ft (9m) high.  Leaves opposite, simple, ovate to elliptic, to 12 cm long, 6-7 pairs of veins, dull green above, the underside is light green with (but not always) red-brown tufts of hairs in the axils of veins.  Flowers open in early spring before leaves appear, yellow, in short stalked umbels (20 mm in diam.) enclosed in 4 bracts, pedicels twice as long as bracts.  Fruit an oblong drupe 1.5 cm long, bright cherry red.
  • Sun or partial shade
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 5      Native to Japan, China, and possibly Korea
  • Similar to C. mas (Cornelian cherry Dogwood), but C. officinalis flowers earlier and has longer pedicels, ripens fruit later, has red-brown tufts of hairs in the vein axils of lowers leaves, and its exfoliating bark is more colorful.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, flowering shrub

    plant habit, flowering shrub

  • plant habit, flowering large shrub

    plant habit, flowering large shrub

  • plant habit, flowering tree

    plant habit, flowering tree

  • flower cluster

    flower cluster

  • leaves

    leaves

  • fruit

    fruit

  • trunk, bark

    trunk, bark