Xela's Garden

Wild Cherry [S]

Genus: Prunus.

Species: Prunus avium.

Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) - One sure sign of spring is the sight of the white blossom of the wild cherry or gean. It also puts on a colourful show in autumn while it sheds its leaves. This tree is native to the UK and most of Europe, but does not grow in northern Scotland; its favoured soil is clay rather than chalk. Often found growing in beech woods, the wild cherry is equally at home in gardens, although it can grow up to 20m tall. To make a wild cherry bear fruit, more than one tree must be planted; alone, they are sterile. The small red cherries look attractive, and can be sour or deliciously sweet. Starlings and pigeons, however, particularly enjoy consuming the tree's fruit, as do wasps and small mammals. Impatient gardeners might note that the wild cherry is a fast-growing tree.

[Source: www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/green-giants-our-love-affair-with-trees-815329.html?action=Gallery&ino=7]

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