Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Pioneer

Also known as Lukianovskyi;Pioneer TM

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late August to early September

Zones

4-8

Size

Pear-shaped, up to 1.5 inches long

Dark red, juicy, sweet and aromatic, somewhere between a cherry and a wild plum; very soft at full ripeness — Hardy to about -30F and bearing 2 to 3 years after planting. Wisconsin's uncommon fruit trials carried Pioneer and Elegant furthest, rating Pioneer slightly earlier, darker red, sweeter and much softer when dead ripe. The softness is the trade-off: it is a superb fresh-eating and syrup fruit that does not travel or hold.

Elegant

Also known as Elehantnyi;Elegant TM

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late summer

Zones

4-8

Size

Long pear-shaped, about 1.5 inches

Bright red, somewhat tart, and firmer than Pioneer — One of the two cultivars taken furthest in the University of Wisconsin uncommon fruit trials, which rated it more bright red, somewhat tart and not as soft as Pioneer; nurseries selling it report heavy crops, though the trial itself published no yield figures. Because it stays firm and tart rather than collapsing sweet, it is the easier of the pair to pick, handle, and cook down into preserves. Pairs naturally with Pioneer as the cross-pollination partner.

Redstone

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Earliest of the cornelian cherries

Zones

5-7

Size

Medium fruit on a dwarf plant, roughly 7 feet tall by 5 feet wide

Balanced sweet-tart — Bred by the USDA for yield and cold hardiness. Grown beside a dozen other cornelian cherry cultivars it proved both the latest to bloom and the earliest to ripen, which is the combination you want where late spring frosts are the real risk. Yields still climb sharply with another cultivar or seedling planted nearby.

Red Star

Also known as Vydubetskyi;Red Star TM

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late season

Zones

4-8

Size

Exceptionally large

Glossy dark red and tasty — A very productive variety carrying unusually large, glossy, dark red fruit, and hardy to about -30F. Penn State Extension lists it among the cultivars selected for fruit rather than for ornament, which is the distinction that matters when you are shopping this species.

Golden Glory

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late summer

Zones

4-8

Size

Upright plant, 15 to 20 feet tall and wide

Tart, best after it falls — Named by Minnesota Extension as a climate-resilient landscape tree, tolerant of drought, floods and road salts, and carrying both attractive flowers and edible fruit useful to wildlife and the kitchen. Virginia Extension rates it upright, heavy flowering and cold hardy. Reports on this species and salt do conflict, so do not bet a streetside planting on the salt tolerance alone.

Svitlana

Also known as Svitlana TM;U-26

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late August to early September

Zones

4-8

Size

Large

Very sweet and flavorful, dark red — A selection from the Kyiv Botanic Garden that bears good crops of large, dark red fruit and ripens early for the species, on a plant hardy to about -30F and bearing 2 to 3 years after planting. A good second cultivar where you want the pollination partner to also be worth eating fresh.

Sunrise

Also known as Sunrise TM;Marina

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late August to early September

Zones

4-8

Size

Resembles a small Japanese plum, over 1 inch long

Pinkish-red skin with red stripes; sweet and flavorful, good fresh and for preserves — The odd one visually - striped pinkish-red skin rather than the usual solid dark red, on a plant hardy to about -30F. Worth it if you want something that does not read as a cherry at all on the plate.

Exotica

Also known as Exotica TM

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late summer

Zones

4-8

Size

Very large

Dark red, sweet and delicious — Selected for very large, sweet, dark red fruit on an ornamental plant hardy to about -30F. Sold as disease-resistant, though this species is already largely trouble-free, so treat that as a minor point rather than a reason to choose it.