Family
Rosaceae
Botanical Name
Prunus padus
Plant Common Name
Bird Cherry
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Exceptionally cold hardy and boasting extremely fragrant spring flowers and pretty fall foliage, European bird cherry is a terrific deciduous tree. Hailing from Eurasia, from northern Europe fully eastward to Japan and Korea, it is a large shrub or becomes a good-sized tree if allowed to reach full maturity. It eventually attains a broad and rounded shape with ascending branches.
Very early to send out its new leaves in the spring, often the young foliage is tinted in interesting shades of bronze-green. Once mature, the leaves are a dull green and have an oval but pointed shape. In mid-spring, young red branch tips are filled with drooping spikes of fragrant white flowers that nearly mask all of the leaves. Once pollinated, small purple-black fruits develop and ripen by late summer, very bitter to the human tongue, but loved by songbirds. Fall foliage displays include a wide potential range of yellow, orange and bronze, even some red.
Widely adaptable to many soil types, European bird cherry fits in perfectly in average, well-drained landscape soils in full sun. The bitter fruits are edible and best used in mixed jellies or for winemaking. Branches may tend to break in heavy snows or ice in winter, but overall this tree makes for a grand shade or street tree. The fruit drop can be messy, so consider placement of this tree away from parking areas, park benches or playground areas.
Red and purple tinted leaves are known in cultivars 'Colorata' and 'Berg Redleaf'. Naturally occurring variety commutata is known as the Mayday tree and is very early blooming. All can be negatively affected by the black knot fungal disease.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
8 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
3 - 7
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Sunset Zone
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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Plant Type
Tree
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
20'-50' / 6.1m - 15.2m
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Width
20'-30' / 6.1m - 9.1m
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Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring
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Native To
Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Asia, Central Asia, China, Japan, Korea
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
