Practical
Plants

Cornus sessilis

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Cornus genus in the family Cornaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cornaceae
Genus
Cornus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The following note is for the closely related C. officinalis. It can probably also be applied to this species[K]. The fruit of this species is about 1 - 1.5cm long[8]:- Fruit - raw or cooked[2][5]. The fully ripe fruit is quite pleasant but slightly astringent[K]. It is about 1.5cm long[8]. The fruit contains about 8.6% sugars, 2.9% malic acid, 0.74% ash[6].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
Western N. America - N. California.
Habitat
Stream banks to 1500 metres[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed[11][3]. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors[11][4]. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 - 4 months and sown as early as possible in the year[4]. Scarification may also help as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification[11][4]. Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or more[4]. Prick out the seedlings of cold-frame sown seeds into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in the spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, taken with a heel if possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage[10]. Layering of new growth in June/July. Takes 9 months[10].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate fertility[1], ranging from acid to shallow chalk[8]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade[[7]. This species is very closely related to C. mas and C. officinalis[8]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[8].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

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  4. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  9. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  10. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  11. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

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