Faul Preserve | Prunus avium | sweet cherry

Botanical Family: Rosaceae

Scientific Name: Prunus avium

Common Names: sweet cherry, wild cherry, bird cherry

Botanical Description:

Prunus avium is a medium-sized, deciduous tree that reaches up to 200 years of age and up to 50 feet tall, developing a broadly rounded crown (1, 2). The single, straight trunks possess thin, smooth bark that is purplish-grey when juvenile and greyish-brown, fissured, and peeling when mature (3). The leaves are alternate, oval-shaped, with darkened veins, serrated margins, and two red glands at the apex of the leaf-stalk (petiole) (1, 4). Leaf color changes from light green in spring, to dark green in summer, and yellow, orange, or pink in fall (3). In early spring, the showy white flowers will appear in loose clusters of 3-5, each flower possessing numerous yellow stamens, 5 white petals, and 1 pistol (3, 4). The fruits are a bitter-sweet, dark red or dark purple berry (drupe), that appears on spurs shortly after flowering, and darkens to black when ripe (1, 3, 4).

Ecological Significance:

Sweet cherry is an important element within mixed-deciduous forests, including ravine forests, oak-hornbeam forests, lowland beech forests, and riverine floodplain forests (3). As a pioneer species, sweet cherry quickly colonizes clearings and forms secondary woodland (4). The deep, adventitious roots provide erosion control by reinforcing the soil and increasing stability of slopes, and also provide habitat for wildlife (3). Bees pollinate the flowers, and the cherries are a source of food for blackbirds, song thrush, badgers, wood mice, yellow-necked mice, and dormice (5). Numerous other insects prey upon the foliage, including the caterpillars of orchard ermine (Yponomeuta padella), cherry-bark moth (Enarmonia formosana), and cherry-fruit moth (Argyresthia pruniella) (6).

Ethnobotanical Value:

Prunus avium is one of the most important European hardwood trees, and is highly valued for paneling, cabinet-making, parquet floors, musical instruments, charcoal, and timber (3, 4). The trees are planted in ornamental gardens, for shade and shelter, and as a boundary or barrier species (7). Because of the ecosystem services that sweet cherry provides, it is used extensively in Silvoarable agroforestry, revegetation, and afforestation projects (3, 4, 7). As the origin of many cherry species, Prunus avium has been used to breed frost and disease resistant cherry cultivars (4). The ripe fruit has a bitter-sweet taste, and can be consumed raw, cooked, or used in baking. An edible gum can also be obtained by wounding the bark. However, all other parts of sweet cherry contain hydrogen cyanide and are highly toxic if consumed, including the seeds and unripe or bitter fruit. Avoid consumption of leaves, seeds, or unripe fruit, and do not consume overly bitter cherries. Medicinally, the fruit stalks are astringent, diuretic, and tonic. Historically, a decoction has been used to treat cystitis, bronchial complaints, anemia, and looseness of the bowels. Additionally, an aromatic resin from the trunk has been used as an inhalant to treat persistent coughing. However, while Prunus avium has been historically valued for medicinal purposes, extreme caution should be taken due to the toxicity (4).

Photos (click for attribution):

Leaf detail | Medium | Flowers | Fruit