Cornelian cherry / Cornus mas

Cornelian cherry is a slow-and-steady sort of plant. Grafted cultivars begin producing their olive-shaped red fruits around year four, but seed-grown plants can take seven or more years. The cheerful yellow flowers appear very early in spring, often before forsythia, providing vital early pollen for bees. The ripe fruits taste like a tart, complex cherry and make extraordinary preserves and syrups. Plant two different cultivars for better cross-pollination and heavier crops.