Bentham's Cornel (Cornus capitata)

Family: Cornaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Cornus capitata is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet flavour, tasting like an over-ripe banana. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; A bitter-sweet flavour, tasting like an over-ripe banana.; The fruit can also be used in preserves.; The fruit is about 25mm in diameter, it is fleshy with a number of seeds and a tough slightly bitter skin.

Habitat & North American Range

Forests and shrubberies to 3400 metres in the Himalayas. Moist hillsides at elevations of 1700 - 2600 metres in Nepal. Evergreen and mixed forests, 1000 - 3200 metres. (Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)