Wild Cherry Tree Facts and Information

  • Latin name: Prunus avium
  • Native words: Old Irish (Crann silín fiáin) Scots Gaelic () Old English () Welsh () eastern Celtic ()
  • Ogham sign:
  • Height when mature: 25m
  • Height after 10 years:

Wild Cherry Tree Leaves

Wild Cherry Tree Botanical Description:

The Wild Cherry Tree is one of the smaller native British trees and as it is tolerant of light shade, single trees are often found growing in broadleaved lowland woods In the spring wood one of the first signs of life is the white blossom of the Wild Cherry, which seems like a snowdrift, and clearly picks out the tree. The blossom hangs in heavy clusters.

The leaves which are bronze, to begin with, are oval and toothed, and in autumn when they turn from green to deep red and cover the ground. Its bark is dark brown with the appearance of horizontal scoring, which is actually a series of breathing holes called lenticels and peels off in large strips

The fruit known as cherries - are round and are initially yellow-orange in colour before turning to crimson in July. They are edible but are often bitter to taste and not as fleshy or sweet as orchard varieties. Wild Cherries can seed from the stones after birds have eaten them, but new trees often develop from suckers spreading from nearby relatives.

 

Natural History and Ancient Wisdom of Wild Cherry Trees:

Often found growing in the understory of woods wild cherries sometimes appear in hedgerows where birds have dropped the seed.

The wood is often used as a veneer on pieces of furniture as it is a strong, hardwood that can be polished to a shiny, attractive brown finish.

Wild Cherry Tree Sapling

Wild Cherry Tree Wildlife Rating:

Good.

The spring blossom is an attraction for the first emerging insects of the year. The white flowers provide them with a source of nectar and pollen before many other trees and plants.

The berries are widely sorted after by birds, especially thrushes and blackbirds.

Any fallen fruit is often eaten by mammals such as badgers and mice.

 

Wild Cherry Tree Good Points:

  • Looks great in a spring garden, or planted singly in a woodland.
  • The wild cherry is much better for wildlife than the double bloomed cultivated varieties; insects cannot get at the nectar sources.
  • White blooms in the spring look beautiful upon the branches.
  • The berries are a good food source for bird making it an attraction in the garden.
  • We call it the "Love Tree" because everybody loves it!

 

Wild Cherry Tree Bad Points:

  • All cherries are prone to black fly which feed on the leaves making some of them curl up and wither, but the tree survives.
  • The tree is not tolerant of waterlogged soil or heavy shade.
  • Strong winds can knock off the flowers, so don’t plant it in an exposed position.
  • If pruned at the wrong time the tree can be susceptible to silver leaf infection.

 

Buy a Wild Cherry Tree

Send a tree as a gift with Tree2mydoor. We have specialised in sending trees as gifts for over 15 years.

 

 

Our Wild Cherry Tree Gift is the ideal native sapling to send to someone with a smaller garden. Their blossom makes them one of the prettiest native trees that the UK has to offer and is popular for a wide variety of occasions such as weddings, christening and to plant for a memorial. Read more about the natural history and wisdom of the tree and see why you should send one to a loved one.