August 2017: Cornel cherry [Cornus mas] (Kornelkirsche): The cherries are dark red already which indicates that I should harvest them before they fall down. In 2013 I harvested them one month later only! The cornel cherry is blooming very early in the year and therefore important for the bees. Its wood is the hardest that grows in Europe. It is so dense that it doesn't float, it sinks. The real cherries belong to the rosaceae whereas the cornel cherry belongs to the dogwood family. Often a mast year (2017) alternates with a lean year (2016). The plant is native to southern Europe and doesn't grow in northern parts. The tree is very cut-resistant. Several songbirds and the dormice like the fruits as well...
