The old saying, "If you don't like the weather in Iowa, wait a few minutes and it will change," probably was spoken for the first time in the month of March. With winter stubbornly refusing to retreat northward, and spring struggling to gain a foothold in a brown and lifeless landscape, we've simply come to accept the possibility that Monday's clouds and rain could be swept away by Tuesday's sun and surprising warmth, which in turn might be erased by Wednesday's blanket of heavy, wet snow. Most woody plants fidget nervously on the sidelines, letting "the elements" fight it out before daring to unfurl their leaves or flowers. But this is not the case with the corneliancherry dogwood (Cornus mas). Undaunted, unfazed, and unafraid, March is "show time" for the corneliancherry, regardless of what might be falling from the sky.

So, what's this "show time" stuff all about? Okay, imagine it's late March and you're out in the neighborhood for a late afternoon stroll. The wind has abated, the sun is low in the sky, casting a warm, golden tone over the landscape, and the air is heavy with the unmistakable fragrance of awakening earth. And as you round the corner, the improbable sight of a large shrub covered in small, but very bright yellow flowers stops you dead in your tracks. No, it's not forsythia, but our old friend the corneliancherry dogwood taking center stage in a mostly brown landscape to herald the arrival of spring. To be sure, the flowering display of corneliancherry never will rival that of magnolia or crabapple, but after a long Midwestern winter, there are few more welcome sights than those tiny and brave yellow flowers.

Native to central and southeastern Europe and western Asia, corneliancherry dogwood has made a very successful transition to the North American landscape. It is most successful when grown in full sun to partial shade and in USDA hardiness zones 4b to 7. But once those criteria are satisfied, you are free to use this plant in countless ways. As a large multi-stemmed shrub (20-25' tall and 15-20' wide), corneliancherry dogwood can be used for hedging, screening, and as specimen in the shrub border, but above all, make sure you find a spot where it can be viewed from inside the home or office. If you prefer a tree-like appearance for your corneliancherry dogwood, look for the upright-growing cultivar 'Golden Glory' (a fine specimen is tucked away in the northeast corner of the Bickelhaupt Arboretum).

The common name, corneliancherry, undoubtedly was assigned to the plant in reference to its cherry-red (⅝ inch long) fruit that ripen in late June and into July. They are very popular with many species of birds, and are quite palatable to humans, but only after their tartness has been moderated or disguised in jelly's and preserves.

The hard and durable wood of corneliancherry dogwood was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans who used it to make lances and javelins, but it also became the preferred wood for manufacturing wheel spokes and other tools and implements. Some have even speculated the legendary Trojan horse (a mythical giant, hollow, wooden horse built and used by the Greeks to subdue the city of Troy) was fashioned out of wood from the corneliancherry dogwood.

So, don't let this spring go by without making a pilgrimage to your favorite corneliancherry dogwood. Now if you're lucky, you already have one right outside your kitchen window. But if not, you might do as the Trojans did, and invite one inside your yard. C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?