Medicinal possibilities
Early in the new year comes the chance to spot the tiny yellow flowers of the cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) which is a small tree with extensive medicinal possibilities. Widely used in Europe and Asia, the fruit has been used in diabetes, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal disorders, fever, rheumatic pain, infections of skin and urinary tract, kidney and liver disease. It is a species in the dogwood family which has members worldwide, often used medicinally. For example, in North America the stem bark of dogwood (C. florida) was used against fever, and twigs were used as chewing sticks. Cherokee medicine records the use of dogwood bark and flowers for headache and diarrhoea. In parts of Asia, Eastern Europe and Turkey the fruits are widely harvested for making drinks, preserves and sweets.
Habit and cultivation
The cornelian cherry is a hardy deciduous small tree or shrub growing to 5 m or more tall. It has opposite leaves, and clusters of small yellow flowers in early spring. These are followed by small red fruits ripening in late summer/early autumn. The ripe fruits about 2-3 cm long are sweet and tart and can be pressed for juice or can be used in sauces and syrups. The tree will do well on the forest edge, and can grow in slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil provided it is well-drained. It takes 4 years to start fruiting. There are many eastern European cultivars that produce larger fruits and, if grafted, may start fruiting within a few years.
Herbal actions
Cornelian cherry has antioxidant-rich fruits and astringent leaves and bark. The fruit is antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, astringent, diuretic, hepatoprotective and tonic. The leaf is astringent, anti-oxidant, and antimicrobial. The stem bark is astringent, febrifuge and stimulant. The cornelian cherry is related to other dogwood family members such as the common dogwood (C. sanguinea). In traditional Chinese medicine the fruits of Asiatic dogwood (C. officinalis) are used to help kidney and liver function and considered astringent and tonic.
Research studies
The broad spectrum of actions of the fruit of the cornelian cherry suggest it could be used more to benefit health. Fruits contain anthocyanins, flavonoids and iridioids and there are high levels of vitamin C. Research studies have identified potential for fruit extracts in the treatment of diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, skin problems, gastro-intestinal and rheumatic diseases. Clinical trials in diabetic type2 and hyperlipidemic patients have shown beneficial trends of improving sugar levels, insulin secretion and blood fats in diabetic patients, and reducing vascular inflammation in hyperlipidemic patients
Harvesting and use
Leaves can be harvested when young for drying and later use in infusions. The fruits can be harvested as they ripen and soften in the late summer or early autumn and shaking the branch causes them to fall (or they will be quickly taken by birds). The bitter bark can be taken from pruned branches in spring and dried. Leaves can be taken as a tea, based on 25 g dried leaf per 500 ml boiling water. The leaves provide astringency in the tea and can be mixed with other herbs to taste, such as mint. The fruits can be placed in brandy or other spirits to form a tonic up to 15-30 ml daily. The dried bark should be steeped in water, 15 g to 500 ml, for 30 min, then strained – it can be used as a gargle in a sore throat. The wood of dogwoods is extremely hard and the twigs can be used as chewing sticks to clean the teeth!
Overview
The cornelian cherry offers delicious fruit alongside bark and leaves with medicinal properties. The flowers come very early and the fruit ripens over a period of weeks so that this plant has a lot to offer for bees and birds. Other uses include hedging. This small tree or large shrub really should be planted more often!
References
Bayram HM and Ozturkcan SA. 2020. Bioactive components and biological properties of cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.): A comprehensive review. Journal of Functional Foods 75:104252.
Crawford, M. 2015. Trees for gardens, orchards and permaculture. East Meon, UK: Permanent Publications, pp.68-71.
Czerwińska ME and Melzig MF. 2018. Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis—analogies and differences of two medicinal plants traditionally used. Frontiers in Pharmacology 9:894.
Dinda B, Kyriakopoulos AM, Dinda S, et al. 2016. Cornus mas L. (cornelian cherry), an important European and Asian traditional food and medicine: Ethnomedicine, phytochemistry and pharmacology for its commercial utilization in drug industry. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 193:670-690.
Forman V, Haladová M, Grančai D, et al. 2015. Antiproliferative activities of water infusions from leaves of five Cornus L. Species. Molecules 20(12):22546-22552.
Nawrot K and Polak-Szczybyło E. 2022. Characteristics of the health-promoting properties of Cornus mas. European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine 20 (2):217–223.
Sangsefidi ZS, Yarhosseini F, Hosseinzadeh M, et al. 2021. The effect of (Cornus mas L.) fruit extract on liver function among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver: A double-blind randomized clinical trial. Phytotherapy Research 35(9):5259-5268.
