Prunus wilsonii Seeds | Wilson Cherry
LATIN NAME: Prunus wilsonii
COMMON NAME: Wilson Cherry
Plant Profile
Prunus wilsonii, better known as Wilson Cherry, is a tree. The Wilson cherry clusters small, white flowers along bare, brown twigs in early spring, finely toothed, pointed leaves, and small, dark red fruits that ripen through the summer. Bark stays smooth and glossy, crown opens with graceful, spreading habit, and the whole tree carries the fresh, early charm of the mountain cherries. Fruits hang in small, tight bunches, sweet enough for birds to strip them fast, and autumn foliage turns to warm yellows and the reds. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. Taken as a whole, it is a plant that repays a little attention many times over.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the Prunus group, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Wild cherries of high forests are a rich breeding pool, and the Wilson cherry keeps its place in studies of prunus diversity and ornamental breeding. Because it has been grown for so long, its garden habits are thoroughly documented.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Wilson Cherry for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In the garden, the Wilson cherry is early riser of the spring. White flowers cluster along bare twigs before most of fruit trees wake, autumn foliage turns to warm golds and reds, and small fruits keep birds happy. It makes graceful specimen for lawn or woodland edge, and wood of wild cherries serves small turnery and smoking chips. Once it has its roots down, it more or less looks after itself.
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
Raising Wilson Cherry from seed is straightforward. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Once established, Wilson Cherry largely looks after itself. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Wilson Cherry: