Prunus avium - Wild Cherry

The Wild Cherry is one of the great glories of the woodland in spring, and makes an excellent specimen tree. Its distinctive spreading branches are laden with masses of bowl-shaped white flowers in April and May, and its autumn performance is no less spectacular when the leaves turn fiery red and orange. With shining reddish-brown bark and a broadly conical shape, this tree has a lot to offer in winter too.

Site and soil

The Wild Cherry does well on all soils except those which are waterlogged. A British native, its range extends across most of Europe, including Scandinavia, and it is tough and very hardy.

Height and spread

Below are the approximate stages of growth, assuming sited in suitable conditions for this species;

After 10 years: 8m x 5m
After 20 years:14m x 7m

Leaf and bark

The leaves are ovate, with a pointed tip, 15cm long and bronze coloured when young, later darkening to glossy green, then turning red and orange before leaf fall in autumn. The bark is an attractive reddish-brown with horizontal lines and cracks.

Flower, seed and fruit

The open cup-shaped white flowers are 2.5cm across, and are borne in clusters in mid-April just before the leaves open. They are followed by round dark red fruits, which can be either sweet or bitter.

Uses

Woodland, parkland, gardens, mixed hedges, specimen tree. The Wild Cherry is the parent of cultivated cherries, and is used as a root-stock for garden cherries. The wood, which is reddish-brown in colour, is valued for cabinet making, wood-turning and for making musical instruments. The fruit is gathered for food and it is an important wildlife species.

Wildlife

The leaves of the Wild Cherry are a food source for the caterpillars of several species of butterflies and moths. The fruits are eaten by birds and small mammals.