Prunus avium (L.) L., Wild Cherry

Account Summary

Growth form and preferred habitats

Native in woodland and occasionally planted and bird-sown in hedges and elsewhere, this lovely when flowering, medium- or small-sized tree grows on a wide range of reasonably fertile soils, although it is probably more common in limestone and base-rich clay areas. Well grown specimens can reach 25 m in height. While found individually, sparingly or occasionally frequent, the species is always local, growing in more open areas, often in linear habitats, such as the margins of woods, in hedges and along rivers and lakeshores. Apart from these generally somewhat shaded situations, P. avium also occurs sporadically as the result of bird sown seed in more unusual colonised situations where it faces little competition, including drained cutover bogs, less exposed areas on cliffs and in disused parts of quarries.

Reproduction

Apart from reproducing freely by seed after obligatory cross-pollination involving bees and other insects, P. avium can also spread by suckers. This only occurs to a limited extent, however, and not with anything like the same vigour displayed by P. spinosa (Blackthorn) and P. cerasus (Dwarf Cherry) (Clapham et al. 1962; An Irish Flora 1996).

The fruits, which ripen early, in late June or July, have a large woody stone contained in a thin but sweet pulp which birds love so much they quickly disappear off the tree! The larger Thrushes, Blackbirds, Crows and Woodpigeons are probably the most significant seed vectors for the species, as smaller birds cannot swallow the relatively large fruit whole, although they may peck at them (Snow & Snow 1988, pp. 55-6).

P. avium is one of the parents of cultivated cherry varieties and seedlings and suckers have been used as rootstocks for budding or grafts of the latter for many hundreds of years (Roach 1985).

Fermanagh occurrence

On account of the fact that it is regularly transported and introduced by birds, Gean or Wild Cherry, which is also known as Sweet Cherry on account of it being sweeter-than-some related fruits, is widespread in lowland Fermanagh, being represented in 140 tetrads, 26.5% of those in the VC. However, as in other areas of these islands, it is often difficult or impossible to distinguish planted from naturally dispersed trees (D.J. McCosh, in: Preston et al. 2002).

British and Irish occurrence

Ignoring these differences in origin, as with both P. domestica and P. padus, this diploid species is more widespread in N, E & SE Ireland than elsewhere on the island. In Britain, it is widespread throughout, except in NW Scotland and the Highlands (Preston et al. 2002).

Threats

None.

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