Sweet cherry

Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium), also known as wild cherry, bird cherry, or gean, is a species of cherry native to Europe, western Turkey, northwestern Africa, and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norway and east to the Caucasus and northern Iran, with a small isolated population in the western Himalaya.

Description

The Sweet Cherry is a deciduous tree growing to 15–32 m (49–105 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in diameter. The bark is smooth and purplish-brown with prominent horizontal lenticels. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate to obovate, 7–14 cm (2.8–5.5 in) long and 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) broad, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the new leaves, borne in corymbs of two to six together, each flower pendent on a 2–5 cm peduncle, 2.5–3.5 cm diameter, with five white petals, numerous yellowish stamens, and a single style; they are hermaphroditic, and pollinated by bees.

Cultivation and uses

The Sweet Cherry is widely cultivated for its fruit. In many cultivars, the fruit is a deep, glossy red when ripe, but there are also yellow, orange and black varieties. The fruit is sweet and juicy and is eaten fresh or used in cooking. The wood is also valued for its potential in carpentry and woodworking.

See also

• Cherry
• Prunus
• Fruit tree

External links

• Britannica: Sweet Cherry

Sweet cherry Resources
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