Cornelian Cherry

February has more than a week to go and the first flowering plant is getting ready to burst out throughout the park: the Cornelian Cherry, often referred to by its botanical name-- Cornus mas. Many people see a yellow, early flowering shrub and think--forsythia. But the Cornus mas comes out earlier, and is more prevalent in Central Park. The blossom is a beautiful warm golden color while the forsythia [quite a different plant in many other ways too] is a much cooler, almost electric yellow. During its blooming period--the last week of February and the first weeks of March, it is amazing to see how much Cornus mas there is in Central Park: it's everywhere.

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