Wild cherry

Profile

Family

Rosaceae

Habit

Tree

Height

19 m

Spread

12 m

Growth

fast

Lifespan

100 years

First yield

after 6 years

Hardiness

zone 3–8

Shade tolerance

partial shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam

Soil moisture

semi-dry – very moist

pH

5.5 – 7

Synonyms

Kirschbaum

Planned in gardens

5×

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Edible: The fruit is edible either raw or cooked, with a taste that can range from sweet to bitter. It is not sour. Common uses for the fruit include making pies or preserves. It has a water content of around 78% and sugar content between 8.5-14%. The fruit is approximately 20 mm in size and has a sizable seed inside. This seed can be consumed raw or cooked, as long as it is not overly bitter. Cutting into the rind can yield an edible gum.

Medicinal: Fruit stems have constipating, diuretic, and tonic properties. Decoction of fruit stems may assist with cystitis, edema, diarrhea, anemia, and bronchitis. Inhaling the resin from fruit stems can alleviate persistent coughs.

Other uses: A green dye can be obtained from the leaves, while a dark gray to green dye can be extracted from the fruit. The bark typically has low tannin content, occasionally reaching up to 16%. The wood, known for its firm, compact, and silky grain, is utilized in turning, furniture making, and instrument crafting.

Growing

Requires well-drained, moisture-retaining soil and thrives in light shade, but fruits better in a sunny location. It prefers loamy soil with some chalk content, but can suffer from chlorosis if there is an excess. This species grows quickly in deep, moist soils with shallow roots, casting light shade and not tolerating heavy shade. It produces many root suckers, forming thickets, especially after the main stem is cut down. A parent to various cultivated sweet cherry forms, especially the black-fruited ones, they can be trained against a wall in limited spaces or at the edge of their climatic range. While most varieties prefer sunny south- or west-facing walls, they are not suitable for east- or north-facing ones. The main challenges of wall training are its self-sterility, needing different varieties for cross-pollination, and its vigorous growth that is hard to manage. Members of this genus have shallow roots and tend to form runners if roots are damaged. It attracts insects and provides food for birds. Not a good companion for potatoes due to disease susceptibility and wheat growth suppression. It also doesn't thrive near plum trees due to root exudation issues. Particularly vulnerable to honey fungus.

Propagation

Seeds need 2-3 months of cold treatment and should be planted right after they mature in a cold frame. Plant stored seeds in a cold frame early in the year, protecting them from pests. Germination may be slow, taking up to 18 months. Transplant seedlings into individual pots once they are big enough. Overwinter them in a greenhouse or cold frame and plant them out the next year in late spring or early summer. In July/August, take cuttings from semi-ripe shoots with a heel in a cold frame. In spring to early summer, take softwood cuttings from strong plants in a cold frame. Divide runners during the dormant season and plant them directly in their final spot. Perform layering in spring.

Notable

Special features: on forest edges and in sunny hilly areas; leaves used as tobacco; e.g., cherry branches cut on December 4th bloom by December 24th; cherry pit contains the stone fruit-typical amygdalin/vitamin B17 =+ also collected for hand warmers/cherry pit pillows; ~0.4% of German forests; 1500 kWh/m²; 4.5 kWh/kg

Origin & habitat

Europe stretches from Scandinavia in the north to North Africa in the south and West Asia in the east.

Often the primary tree species in forests, particularly in clay soils, while it does not thrive in acidic peat soils or shallow limestone soils.

Related plants