Cornelian Cherry
Cornus mas
Thomas Jefferson recorded the planting of four "Ciriege Corniole" or Cornelian Cherries in his Garden Book. Its fruit is excellent for preserves and syrup.
In a garden diary entry of March 31, 1774, Thomas Jefferson recorded the planting of four "Ciriege Corniole" or Cornelian Cherry trees along with sixteen other varieties of fruit trees and vegetables.12
The Cornelian Cherry is a native to southern Europe and western Asia and has been cultivated since ancient times for the fruit, which is excellent for preserves and syrup. However, by the nineteenth century, the use of this fruit was already in decline, and it wasn't until the twentieth century that gardeners appreciated its ornamental features (a winter flower display and attractive red fruits in late summer).3
Formerly grown at the western end of Monticello's Vegetable Garden; still cultivated at our Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
When you're here...
Between April and October, all house tours come with a free guided Garden Tour, or you can explore the grounds on your own with the Bloomberg Connects App
Shop
Heirloom Seeds and Plants from the Monticello collection
Plant history in your gardens with seeds and plants from Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.
Footnotes
- This article is based on Center for Historic Plants Information Sheet.
- Betts, Garden Book, 50. Manuscript and transcription at the Massachusetts Historical Society.
- Alice M. Coats, Garden Shrubs and their Histories (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992), 58.