il cornelian cherry dogwood tree
In local dialect “Lu Corniolu”
Cornus mas L.
Cornacee
🌍 DIFFUSION AND FEATURES
📌 The dogwood is a species typical of Central and Eastern Europe, found as far as the Caucasus and Asia Minor.
🌿In Italy, it is widespread throughout the peninsula, but it is more commonly found in the northern regions, especially in the woodlands of high hills and mountains.
🍂 It is a hardy shrub, resistant to late frosts and less prone to diseases.
💛 It is known for its yellow spring flowers and red fruits like small cherries
🏡 Cultivation: It is cultivated both for ornamental purposes in gardens and for its edible fruits, which are used in cooking and traditional medicine.
🏛️ THE DOGWOOD TREE IN HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY
🔱ROMULUS AND THE FOUNDING OF ROME
According to tradition, Romulus, the founder of Rome, marked the boundary of the future city by throwing a dogwood (Cornus) spear towards the Palatine Hill. The spear’s handle, once embedded in the ground, took root and bloomed, symbolizing the glorious destiny of Rome.
⚔️ ULYSSES AND THE CYCLOPS POLYPHEMUS
In Greek mythology, the dogwood is associated with the figure of Ulysses.
According to The Odyssey, Ulysses used a dogwood stake to blind the cyclops Polyphemus.
👉 The wood of the dogwood, valued for its hardness and durability, was indeed used for making weapons and tools.
📜 THE CORNELIAN CHERRY TREE ACCORDING TO PLINY THE ELDER
The Roman historian Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, talks about the dogwood in different occasions, such as:
📖Book 16, paragraph 84
🛠️ In this paragraph, Pliny the Elder describes the dogwood’s wood as so hard that it is resistant to iron. Because of its extraordinary hardness, it was used to make weapons and tools.
🌿 THE DOGWOOD IN FOLK MEDICINE
🩺The CORNELIAN CHERRY TREE has been used for centuries in European folk medicine.
- 🍒 Its fruits were used for their astringent and anti-inflammatory properties.
- 🌱 Its leaves and bark were used to treat gastrointestinal disorders and fevers
✨ The dogwood tree combines history, mythology and beneficial properties, still showing today its versatility.
🍂🍒 It has a strong, resistant structure, but it needs protection. Indeed, it risks being replaced by other, more profitable crops.
These contents were written and researched by the owners of the SiGi Agricultural Company in collaboration with the students of the Agricultural Technical Institute of Macerata.
If you would like to contribute to expanding the descriptions of these varieties, you can send an e-mail to info@agricolasigi.it
We launched the e-museum of ancient fruits thanks to a social farming project of the Marche region. The translation is by komalingua
This project enabled five young people with cognitive impairments, aged 20 to 25, to work on the farm. They were selected by psychologists and Anffas social workers, supported by the professional educator Il Faro and supervised by UniMc researchers. Coldiretti Marche handled communication and distribution.
This unique and challenging project led to the creation of both a physical and virtual museum of ancient fruits in SiGi’s garden. This is not only a great honor but also a significant commitment that we are willing to continue with everyone’s support. You can contribute to our projects by choosing our products, or you can do so directly here:
