Wild Cherry
Irish Name - Crann silín fiáin
Family - Rosaceae
Characteristics
- The wild cherry usually has a single trunk and can exceed a height of 25m (75ft), although often it is less.
- Suckers are produced from the cherry's shallow roots, especially if the main trunk has been felled.
- To obtain fruit, more than one tree must be planted because they are completely self-sterile.
- The cherries are yellow-red at first, and blackish-red when ripe. They are an excellent eating fruit, but can be bitter.
- When the bark is wounded, a thick sticky resin is produced which oozes out and eventually solidifies over the injury.
Season
- In April and May attractive white blossoms cover the trees.
Preferred Environment
- Wild cherry is frequently found in woodland on fertile soils.
- It is often part of the understorey layer in oak and mixed woods, growing best on base-rich soils, but not where the canopy is closed.
- Wild cherry is also found in hedges.
- It is intolerant of heavy shade.
Wildlife Associations
- The white flowers attract many insects.
- When the berries are ripe, wasps, birds and small mammals can devour entire crops within a few days. Wasps strip the flesh from the fruit and leave the stones hanging suspended in bunches. Birds frequently swallow the cherry stones and take them to new locations.
- Blackfly lays its eggs on wild cherry, at the growing tip, during early summer.Curling foliage is the usual symptom. Shoot growth is stunted and sticky. Honeydew coats young stems and leaves. When the trees are young this can cause them to become malformed unless treated.
Uses
- The wood is used for furniture, sometimes on its own, but more usually for veneer and fine carving.