Cherry Plum
How To ID Me And What I’m Good For?
My ID Features:
Fruits
Flowers
Leaf
Fruit
Cherry Plum
Latin Name - Prunus Cerasifera.
Family - Rosaceae.
Common Names - Cherry Plum, Myrobalan plum.
Edible bits - Flowers & Fruits.
Habitat - Mostly in urban settings. Though, naturalised in hedgerows and woodland also.
Possible Confusion - Other fruiting cherries (members of the prunus species). Prunus or Cherries is a genus with more than 400 species, ranging from flowering shrubs to trees, including fruiting members, Almond, Apricot, Cherry, Peach and Plum. Caution should be taken not to pick cherry laurel as they produce poisonous fruits [prunus laurocerasus]. And, members of the almond family [prunus dulcis].
Description - Cherry plum is a broadleaf deciduous tree and one of the first Prunus species to flower in spring. Its bark is dark grey and develops fissures with age. After pollination by insects, the flowers develop into yellow or red cherry-like fruits which are absolutely delicious. Nikki and I have often used the flowers as a garnish, but the fruits are the real star of the show!
Physical Characteristics - A spreading open-crowned small tree or large shrub. Generally reaching between 8-12 metres tall.
The leaves - are generally 3–7 cm long. Having a green colour. They are slender and glossy, with fine hairs on the underside.
The Flowers - Cherry Plum is one of the first European trees to flower in spring, usually during February, always before the leaves have opened. The flowers are white or pale pink and about 2cm across, with five petals and many stamens.
The Fruit - The fruit is an edible drupe (a fleshy fruit, with thin skin and central stone), 3 cm in diameter, ripening to yellow or red from July/September.
The Stone - Prunus domestica can be similar, but has a flattened stone. P cerasifera stones are only slightly flattened.
Medicinal Qualities - Cherries are a fantastic source of vital nutrients such as calcium, phosphate, potassium, and vitamins C and B, all of which are necessary for maintaining an efficient metabolism and a healthy nervous system.
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