Prunus avium – Wild Cherry

Wild Cherry is a large deciduous tree with a tapering bole and high domed crown. Its bark is a shiny reddish brown with circular lines of lenticels peeling horizontally into tough papery strips. Its branches spread widely and terminate in smooth reddish twigs. Its leaves are ovate with a long pointed apex and forward pointing irregular teeth on the margins. The leaves grow up to 15cm long and have a smooth and dull green upper surface. The petiole is 2-5cm long with two glands near the leaf. It produces white flowers in long stalked clusters of 2-6 that open up just before the leaves. They have 5 petals up to 1.5cm long. Its fruit is round, up to 2cm long with a depressed apex and a dark purple/red-black shiny skin (sometimes yellow skin). It is a widespread native of most of Europe except for the far North and East. Birds are particularly fond of its ripe fruits and can completely strip a tree within a day or so. Its timber is hard and strong and used for turnery and making furniture.