Cherry Burns slowly with good heat.
Another wood with the advantage of
a pleasant scent.
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) is thought to be the most ornamental of our native broadleaf woodland trees.
It is native throughout the UK and Europe, except the far north. The second part of its botanical name – ‘avium’ refers to birds, which eat the cherries and disperse the seed. In Scotland, cherry is sometimes referred to as ‘gean’.
What does cherry look like?
Mature trees can grow to 30m and live for up to 60 years. The shiny bark is a deep reddish-brown with prominent cream-coloured horizontal lines. The green leaves are oval and toothed with pointed tips, measuring 6–15cm with two red glands on the stalk at the leaf base. They fade to orange and deep crimson in autumn.
Cherry trees are hermaphrodite, meaning the male and female reproductive parts are found in the same flower, in April. Flowers are white and cup-shaped with five petals, and measure 8-15mm across. They hang in clusters of two to six.
After pollination by insects, the flowers develop into globular, hairless deep red cherries.
Interesting fact: although the seeds are distributed by mammals and birds, cherry trees can also propagate themselves by root suckers.
Value to wildlife
The spring flowers provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees, while the cherries are eaten by birds including the blackbird and song thrush, as well as mammals such as the badger, wood mouse, yellow necked mouse and dormouse.
The foliage is the main food plant for caterpillars of many species of moth, including the cherry fruit and cherry bark moths, the orchard ermine, brimstone and short cloaked moth.
Mythology and symbolism
In Highland folklore, wild cherry had mysterious qualities, and to encounter one was considered auspicious and fateful.
How we use cherry
Traditionally cherries were planted for their fruit and wood, which was used for making cask hoops and vine poles. The sticky resin was thought to promote a good complexion and eyesight, and help to cure coughs.
These days cherry wood is used to make decorative veneers and furniture. The wood is hard, strong and honey-coloured, and can be polished to a good shiny brown colour. Wild cherry has many cultivars and is a popular ornamental tree in gardens. The wood burns well and produces a sweetly scented smoke, similar to the scent of its flowers.
Threats
Wild cherry is susceptible to bacterial cankers, which can disfigure and occasionally kill infected trees. Pruning at the wrong time of year can put trees at risk from silverleaf disease, which can also eventually kill the tree. Dieback can be caused by damage from the cherry black fly (Myzus cerasi)
Cherry plum
Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera) is a broadleaf deciduous tree native to south-east Europe and western Asia, but has naturalised in the UK.
It is one of the first prunus species to flower in spring and is often mistaken for true cherry trees.
What does cherry plum look like?
Mature trees grow to 8m. The bark is dark grey and develops fissures with age, and twigs are green and covered in a fine down when young. Leaves are green, slender and glossy, with fine hairs on the underside.
Cherry plum is hermaphrodite, meaning both male and female reproductive parts are contained within each flower. Flowers are white, and usually grow singularly in late-winter to early spring. After pollination by insects, the flowers develop into yellow or red cherry-like fruits.
Interesting fact: the second part of the Latin name, cerasifera, means 'bearing cherry-like fruits'.
Value to wildlife
Flowers are attractive to bees and other insects. Birds eat the ripe fruits.
Mythology and symbolism
Cherry plum flowers were used by Dr Edward Bach to create a remedy for people in fear losing control of their behaviour, and are still used in Bach Flower Remedies today.
How we use cherry plum
Cherry plum is often grown as an ornamental tree for its early display of flowers. Young trees are often used as understocks (a root which another plant is grafted on to) for domestic plums.
Threats
Like many trees in the Prunus genus, cherry plum may be susceptible to fungal diseases.
Bird cherry (Prunus padus) is a deciduous tree native to the UK and Europe.
It is commonly found in wet woodland, hedgerows and stream and river banks. Although closely related to the wild cherry, Prunus avium, the two species are easy to tell apart.
What does bird cherry look like?
Mature trees can grow to 25m. The bark is smooth, peeling and rough, greyish-brown and emits an unpleasant, acrid odour. Twigs are a dull deep brown, with pale markings. Shoots are hairy when young but become hairless with age.
Leaves are oval and hairless except for the tufts under the vein joints. Unlike wild cherry, the edges have fine, sharp serrations, with pointed tips and two glands on the stalk at the leaf base.
Cherry trees are hermaphrodite, meaning both male and female reproductive parts are contained within the same flower. Flowers appear in April, they are strongly scented, white and with five petals, and measure 8-15mm across.
Once pollinated by insects, the flowers develop into reddish-black, bitter cherries. Unlike wild cherry, bird cherry does not produce root suckers.
Interesting fact: in some parts of Yorkshire it is called 'wild lilac' due to its spikes of white flowers in spring.
Value to wildlife
Like wild cherry, the spring flowers provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees, while the cherries are eaten by birds including the blackbird and song thrush, as well as mammals such as the badger, wood mouse, yellow necked mouse and dormouse.
The foliage is eaten by caterpillars of many species of moth, including the orchard ermine, brimstone and short cloaked moth, however it is toxic to livestock, particularly goats.
Mythology and symbolism
If placed at the door, the strong-smelling bark of the tree was said to ward off the plague.
How we use bird cherry
Traditionally cherries were planted for their fruit and wood, which was used for making cask hoops and vine poles.
Bird cherry is lighter and more finely textured than wild cherry.
Threats
Bird cherry is susceptible to bacterial cankers, which can disfigure and occasionally kill infected trees. Pruning at the wrong time of year can put trees at risk from silverleaf disease, which can also eventually kill the tree. Dieback can be caused by damage from the cherry black fly (Myzus cerasi).
