Prunus padus Seeds | Bird Cherry
LATIN NAME: Prunus padus
COMMON NAME: Bird Cherry, Hackberry
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) stands out as a tree in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to woodlands and riverbanks of the temperate eurasia, while it has been cultivated in gardens for its fragrant flowers. In good conditions it grows to around Fifteen metres. Gardeners value it precisely for this blend of qualities.
Science & Biotechnology
Prunus padus sits in the rose family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Bird cherry has a real and distinguished place in research. Gardeners benefit directly from its long cultivation: what the plant will do in a garden is well understood.
Uses & Benefits
Bird Cherry brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Bird cherry is a small to medium-sized, deciduous tree of woodlands, bearing glossy, dark-green leaves and long, drooping clusters of white, fragrant flowers in late spring. Its white flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and its black cherries are a food for birds, while its spreading, rounded crown gives a fine presence in garden and the park. To raise bird cherry, sow seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a cool, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow little trees on in the sun. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
The rose family’s great fruit genus gives plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds, all carotenoid- and polyphenol-rich; in Chinese medicine the kernels and fruits, from Xing Ren for coughs to Yu Li Ren for regularity, are classical herbs, always processed to manage their cyanogenic compounds.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Bird Cherry under ordinary good conditions. A simple routine works well: sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, maintain even moisture, and provide bright light. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Bird Cherry repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
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