Sweet Cherry Prunus avium
- Phonetic Spelling
- PROO-nus AH-vee-um
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Prunus avium is a deciduous tree cultivated in landscapes. Its leaves are alternate, simple, and toothed on the margin, with 2 small glands at base of blade. It has 1-few flowers in a rounded cluster, 5-parted and white in color. The fruit is a fleshy drupe, yellow or red with a large pit (stone). It has occasionally escaped from gardens and naturalized in the landscape.
Poison Part: Wilted leaves, twigs (stems), seeds
Poison Delivery Mode: Ingestion
Edibility: EDIBLE PARTS: Fruit edible raw or cooked.
Severity: HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!
Found in: Landscape as cultivated tree, rarely escaping and naturalizing
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- avium
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to Afghanistan, Northern Africa
- Wildlife Value:
- This is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Edibility:
- EDIBLE PARTS: Fruit edible raw or cooked.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Conical
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fleshy, yellow to red to purple-red, with a large pit (stone) and long stem.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- 1-few in a rounded cluster, 5-parted, 1-1.5 in. Emerge with the leaves.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Toothed on the margin with 2 small red or green glands at the base of the blade. Petiole has a groove.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- Very distinct horizontal lenticels. Old wood may be grey with horizontal ridges.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, and respiratory failure. Laetrile from the seeds is a dangerous, controversial treatment for cancer. Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, panting, shock.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Stems
