Prunus padus - Bird Cherry

General Information Common Name  Bird Cherry Scientific Name  Prunus padus Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  6-9 m (20 - 30 ft) Spread  4.5 -6 m (15 - 20 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Early Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  Europe, USA

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order/  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Prunus L. – cherry Species  P. padus

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry

Prunus padus common name is Bird Cherry. This is a small slender cherry tree, sometime only a bush is particularly at home along stream sides in the Scottish Highlands. But it is mainly native to northern Europe and northern Asia. The crown is rounded, The upper branches ascending steeply, the lower spreading and even dropping.

The winter buds are stout, shiny, sharply pointed, and often bent, their scales vary in color from yellow to dark brown. The young shoots turn olive-green and eventually dark brown. The 2-3 inch long leaves are elliptical with finely toothed margins and are dull green on top and pale green below.

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry

There are up to forty small, white, bi-sexual, self-fertile flowers, which open in May, in each drooping or spreading spike-like raceme. The fruit (a cherry) changes from green to black, is shiny, up to half an inch in diameter and harsh and bitter to the tested, it ripens in August, and is relished by birds.

The bark is dark brown, and remains smooth, but is not shiny. The bands of orange-colored lenticels are much shorter than those on Gean (P. avium). The bark peels, and like the sappy wood has an unpleasant smell of bitter almonds. The sapwood is white and the heartwood dark purplish-brown.

Bird Cherry seems to spread more by suckering than from seed, though seedlings are extremely hardy and easily raised. It has produced several varieties and distinct geographical forms but as found growing wild in Europe does not vary greatly.

Bird Cherry Full Blooms

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry : Young Plant

Leaf of Bird Cherry

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry : Leaves

Flowers of Bird Cherry

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry Flowers

Prunus padus Flowers

Fruits of  Bird Cherry

Prunus padus Fruits

 Bird Cherry Bark

Logs of  Bird Cherry

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry

Prunus padus - Bird Cherry

Prunus avium - Wild Cherry - Gean

General Information Common Name  Wild Cherry, Sweet Cherry, Gean Scientific Name  Prunus avium Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  6-9 m (20 - 30 ft) Spread  4.5 -6 m (15 - 20 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Early Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  Europe, USA

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order/  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Prunus L. – cherry Species  P. avium

Prunus avium - Wild Cherry

Prunus avium common name is Wild Cherry also known as Sweet Cherry or Gean. It is to be found sparingly in mixed woodlands as a moderate-sized tree, or occasionally as a tall tree of open habit, the lower branches spreading but the remainder ascending steeply.

The twigs are greyish-brown, and the winter buds are alternate, brown, and pointed on short spur shoots. The pale green, 2 – 3 inch long elliptical leaves, which droop somewhat on fairly long stalks, have finely toothed margins and are without hairs on the upper surface, but downy below. They turn brilliant crimson in autumn. 

The white, sweetly scented, bi-sexual, self-sterile flowers, with long, slender stalks, are cup-shaped and borne in clusters (umbels) of from two to six in April-May.

The fruit (a cherry) is small and shiny, changing from green through bright red to purple when ripe in July, the taste is sweet or bitter, never acid.

The bark is grey or reddish-brown, smooth and shiny, ringed with orange-colored lenticels, and peels horizontally in thin strips. In older trees the lower bark becomes rough and furrowed. The attractive wood is golden or even greenish-brown, rather heavy, tough and hard. It is a good furniture timber, and is prized as a turnery wood for such items as bowls.

Foresters value Gen as an amenity tree, particularly on the edges of plantations. It suckers freely and it coppices when cut.

Wild Cherry Full Tree

Young Plant of Wild Cherry

Prunus avium - Wild Cherry : Leaves

Prunus avium Leaves

Wild Cherry Flowers

Sweet Cherry Flowers

Prunus avium Flowers

Prunus avium - Wild Cherry Flowers

Wild Cherry Green Fruits

Sweet Cherry Fruits

Wild Cherry Fruits

Prunus avium Fruits

Prunus avium Bark

Prunus avium Log

Beauties of Prunus avium - Wild Cherry