Bird cherry
Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)
Bird Cherry (Prunus padus), also known as Hackberry or Mayday tree, is a species of cherry, native to northern Europe and northern Asia. It is a deciduous small tree or large shrub, 8–16 m tall.
Pronunciation
Bird Cherry: /bɜːrd ˈtʃɛri/
Etymology
The term "Bird Cherry" is derived from the fact that the fruit of this tree is a favorite food of birds. The scientific name Prunus padus is derived from the Latin prunus meaning "plum" or "cherry" and padus, the classical name for this plant.
Description
The Bird Cherry has a slender trunk with smooth, dark brown bark. The leaves are alternate, simple, toothed, and lanceolate with a pointed tip. The flowers are white, produced in cylindrical drooping racemes 5–10 cm long in early spring. The fruit is a small cherry 6–8 mm diameter, green at first, turning black when ripe in late summer.
Related Terms
- Cherry: A fruit, or the tree bearing the fruit, of several species of the genus Prunus.
- Deciduous: Trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally.
- Raceme: A type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks.
- Prunus: A genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds.
Uses
The Bird Cherry is often grown as an ornamental tree in northern Europe for its attractive flowers. The fruit is edible but very sour, and is mainly used for making jam and cherry brandy. The wood is hard and strong, and is used for making furniture and tools.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Bird cherry
- Wikipedia's article - Bird cherry
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski