Cornelian Cherries

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American landscapers of the 1920s also took an interest in the plant as an ornamental, thus it is possible to find thickets in many older parks and landscape settings across the eastern half of the country.

Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania, for example, boasts several old stands of the plant, and when the cherries are ripe, it is not unusual to see Iranian families picnicking under them and surreptitiously shaking the tree limbs to make the cherries fall on their blankets. Sour, prunelike dried cornelian cherries are a prized ingredient in Persian cuisine, as they are throughout much of central Asia.

Indeed, another name for the cornelian cherry tree is sorbet tree, because it was the juice of the cherries that was used to flavor the original Persian sorbets.

New Varieties

Within the last 30 years, Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian plant breeders have taken the lead in developing new varieties of cornelian cherries, and the range of their creations is quite astounding. When ripe, some cornelian cherries are the size of large, plump olives; others are pear-shaped and yellow (instead of the more common cherry red; see picture in image gallery) or nearly black when ripe. All of them offer an array of truly exotic flavors that simply cannot be found in other types of fruit. (See Tasty Russian and Ukrainian Varieties, below.)

How would I describe the taste of cornelian cherry preserve in the recipe on Page 104? Complex: a mix of carnations; the Croatian cherry liqueur Maraschino di Zadar; black cherries; and a touch of the fragrance of a night-blooming cereus. Sugar transforms this sour fruit into a sweet yet subtle culinary perfume.

Growing Cornelian Cherries

Decide early whether you want cornelian cherries as ornamental plants or for their fruit.

As an ornamental, they will grow well in semi-shade, even under the canopy of much larger trees. They also can take very bald, even dry soils, and temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees; the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends planting the cornelian cherry as far north as Zone 4. Most plants reach a mature height of about 10 feet but can grow to 14 feet and beyond depending on the soil and location.

For the best fruit, richer soil, good exposure to the sun and planting several trees together are recommended. Although self-fertile, plants that can cross-pollinate easily will produce 30 to 40 pounds of fruit. I also recommend pruning them like apple trees in order to keep the fruit down where you can reach it. Otherwise, you may need a ladder to reach the upper branches, but keep in mind that the limbs are brittle and break easily from such stress.

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