As nature carries on its merry way these days, with spring bursting in all directions, we wanted to share with you a particular woodland treasure each week to entice you out into the Gardens.
Right now you will find splashes of yellow blooms throughout Boxerwood: the flowers of Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), a member of the dogwood family native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Primarily grown as an ornamental in the U.S., its cherry-like fruits are edible, although extremely tart. In its native range, the fruit in its firm, unripe stage is sometimes used in place of olives, and the soft ripe fruits are used in fruit drinks, syrups, jams, and baked goods. The trees are potentially long-lived, with life spans of 100 years or more. Early-blooming flowers are a pollinator food source, and the blooms are very cold hardy, tolerating temperatures down to 18 degrees.
In addition to Cornelian cherry, other early-flowering trees are in bloom: magnolia, weeping cherry, crab apple, and then redbuds are just getting started. The Virginia bluebells under the Great Oak are blooming – an extra-early start for them!
Special message
Although we are moving into a period of organizational semi-dormancy, we dedicate ourselves to keeping the garden open as long as we can. We are here for you.
At this time, can you also be here for us? For those who are able, we humbly ask for your ongoing financial support.
In the meantime, we invite you to explore Spring at Boxerwood.
