March 2023: European cornel [Cornus mas] (Kornelkirsche): The first flowers of the European cornel have just opened, but most of the single flowers will do so after some balmy days only (but that's what we expect). As the cornel cherry is blooming very early in the year it is one of the first food source and thereby important for the bees and other insects. Its wood is the hardest that grows in Europe! It is so dense that it doesn't float, it sinks. The sweet cherries belong to the rosaceae whereas the cornel cherry belongs to the dogwood family. Often a mast year alternates with a lean year. The plant is native to southern Europe and doesn't grow in northern regions. The tree is very cut-resistant and therefore ideal for hedges.
