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Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)
Natural History
This is reported to be a native tree, although I have not been able to find out how it arrived in this country. It is very fast growing with a rich brown bark. The wood has a very strong smell when you cut it.
The leaves appear very early in the spring and are a broad oval in shape with a pointed tip. The canopy, like all cherries, tends to be quite dense. They become an attractive bright green colour in late spring and summer, but have no particularly attractive colours in autumn and is a bit scruffy then. The leaves are among the first to fall in autumn; which allows cutting to begin early.
There are lots of small white flowers in spring which hang in long cylindrical spikes (racemes). The raceme is erect at first but droops when the flowers have been fertilised. The flowers are bisexual and have five white petals and a set of yellow-tipped stamens around the pistil.
Thousands of black berries are produced, which are eaten by many birds. The berries are edible but taste very bitter. the stones are poisonous.
The tree is attractive to a wide range of insects so expect to be bitten when you are working around it.
Planting & Aftercare
We have had no problems with death or dieback with growing this tree. It seems to grow just as well on the drier, more free-draining parts of the wood as in the lower, boggier sections. It copes well with frost and exposure to wind.
Formative Pruning & Coppicing
I am becoming more and more impressed with this tree. I never intended to grow this species but, as usual, the Forest Nursery which was supposed to supply me with Wild Cherry substituted Bird Cherry out of incompetence or malice.
Because I have thought of this tree only as an amenity species, I have not carried out any formative pruning work. Even so, many trees have sent up a number of good straight stems which have proven ideal for stakes.
This tree sends up suckers from the roots and appears to be a good candidate for successful coppicing.
The timber has proven to be excellent for firewood; burning very brightly and leaving little ash.