- Botanical name: Prunus avium
- Common name: Wild cherry
- Family: Rosaceae
- Plant Type: Fruit, Deciduous
White
Green
- Key features:
- Fruits
- Prefers rich soil
- Attractive to wildlife
The wild cherry, or gean, Prunus avium, is a medium-sized deciduous tree with pure white flowers in spring, followed by small, red-purple cherries in summer. The chestnut-coloured bark becomes silvery with age, and leaves turn a rich orange-red in autumn.
There are many cultivars of wild cherry, including variety ‘Plena’, which has pendulous clusters of nodding double white flowers, and does not produce fruit. The fruits of Prunus avium are edible, but can be rather bitter, so opt for a cultivar if your main reason for growing it is to produce edible fruits.
For best results, grow in full sun with free-draining soil. Prunus avium is only suitable for large gardens – trees can reach 20m in height, or more.
How to grow Prunus avium
-
Plant size
20m height
8m spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Back
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy / clay / heavy / moist
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do not Plant in May |
J
Do not Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do Plant in October |
N
Do Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does flower in March |
A
Plant does flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does not flower in June |
J
Plant does not flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Fruits | ||||||||||||
| Fruits |
J
Plant does not fruit in January |
F
Plant does not fruit in February |
M
Plant does not fruit in March |
A
Plant does not fruit in April |
M
Plant does not fruit in May |
J
Plant does fruit in June |
J
Plant does fruit in July |
A
Plant does fruit in August |
S
Plant does not fruit in September |
O
Plant does not fruit in October |
N
Plant does not fruit in November |
D
Plant does not fruit in December |
| Prune | ||||||||||||
| Prune |
J
Do not Prune in January |
F
Do not Prune in February |
M
Do not Prune in March |
A
Do not Prune in April |
M
Do not Prune in May |
J
Do not Prune in June |
J
Do not Prune in July |
A
Do Prune in August |
S
Do not Prune in September |
O
Do not Prune in October |
N
Do not Prune in November |
D
Do not Prune in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do not Harvest in May |
J
Do Harvest in June |
J
Do Harvest in July |
A
Do Harvest in August |
S
Do not Harvest in September |
O
Do not Harvest in October |
N
Do not Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Prunus avium and wildlife
Prunus avium is known for attracting bees, beneficial insects, birds, butterflies/moths and other pollinators. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers, provides shelter and habitat, has seeds for birds and is a caterpillar food plant.
Attractive to Bees
Attractive to Beneficial insects
Attractive to Birds
Attractive to Butterflies/Moths
Attractive to Other pollinators
Is Prunus avium poisonous?
Prunus avium can be toxic.
Toxic to Cats
Toxic to Dogs
Toxic to Horses
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
