Cornus officinalis Pictures to Help You Recognize the Morphological Features of Its Flowers, Leaves and Fruit

Cornus officinalis is a deciduous small tree or shrub in the dogwood family (Cornaceae), a typical woody plant, also known as Shanyurou, medicinal jujube, jujube skin, and other names. Cornus officinalis pictures commonly seen online mostly focus on two periods, early spring flowering and autumn fruiting, which are also its most ornamental times. Using pictures to observe details such as flowers, leaves and fruit is a good way to quickly get to know and identify this plant.

As for the flowers, Cornus officinalis blooms before it leafs out, and in early spring small yellow flowers cluster all over the branches; from a distance it looks like a mass of gold, and it is often mistaken for winter jasmine or forsythia. In the pictures you can see that its flowers are rather small and dense, with four petals opening in a cross shape, and against the still leafless branches they stand out especially clearly. This scene of a tree full of yellow flowers is the most classic type of Cornus officinalis picture.

The red fruit in autumn is another highlight in Cornus officinalis pictures. The fruit is an oval drupe that turns from green to red when ripe, hanging in clusters on the branches with bright color and a shape somewhat like a small jujube, which is why it is also called medicinal jujube among the people. The medicinal Cornus officinalis flesh is generally dried after the pit is removed, appearing as shrunken slices or sac-like pieces with a color leaning to dark red to purple-brown, clearly different from pictures of the fresh fruit, so you can tell them apart when buying the medicinal material.

The leaves and bark are also worth noticing in the pictures. The leaves are opposite, mostly ovate or elliptical, with veins curving upward in an arc, and the leaf color can turn red after autumn. The bark of old trees is grayish-brown and often peels off in flakes. If you want to take more ideal pictures, you can plant it on a sunny gentle slope with deep soil and good drainage; with good light and ventilation, the flower color and fruit color will both be more outstanding.