Prunus avium Wild Cherry

A large, attractive cherry with shiny, red-brown bark which has conspicuous circular lenticels. The white flowers are relatively large, up to about 4cm in diameter, with petals about 1.5cm long and in long stalked clusters of 2 - 5 flowers. Like other cherries, the flowers appear before the large leaves which are conspicuously toothed and can be up to 15cm long with a long drawn out tip. It is a widespread, native tree which occurs in woodlands and in old hedges but it is most common in the southeast of Britain. At maturity, the black fleshy fruit (which is similar to, but somewhat smaller than, the typical cherry fruit) is attractive to many frugiverous birds. The wood of Wild Cherry, which is strong and hard, is used in turnery and for making furniture. Wild Cherry is widely cultivated in parks, gardens and in orchards and, although it occurs almost everywhere in Britain and Ireland, many trees are probably naturalised. It is difficult to be certain about its status in West Glamorgan, where it is widespread, but some trees that occur in ancient hedgerows may be native. However, many others have been planted or derive from cultivated stock. There are many cultivated forms, some with double flowers ('Plena'). Wild Cherry is also known by its much older name, Gean.

Native (but many trees derived from planted or cultivated stock)