Cornelian cherry dogwood

* Common name: Cornelian cherry dogwood

* Botanical name: Cornus mas

* What it is: An under-used small tree that’s covered with yellow flowers in early spring before the branches leaf out. Much tougher and far more bug- and disease-resistant than familiar American dogwood. Gets edible (though sour) red berries that ripen in mid to late summer.

* Size: 15 feet tall, 20 feet wide.

* Where to use: Nice specimen tree for small front or back yard. Interesting at a house corner. Dense growth also makes them useful as growing-season screen planting along a border.

* Care: Keep watered in early years, then little to no care. Thin out or shorten branches as needed after bloom. No need to feed if you’re fertilizing the lawn nearby every now and then.

* Great partner: Barrenwort, pachysandra and/or a mass of purple hyacinth bulbs make nice underplantings.