Bird cherry

Bird cherry (Prunus padus) is a deciduous small tree or large shrub up to 16 metres, rarely to 20 m tall. Prunus padus is native to temperate Eurasia from the British Isles to Japan. It flowers in mid to late spring, typically late May in Britain; the flowers are produced on spreading or drooping racemes 7-15 cm long. It is an invasive species in Alaska, prompting efforts at eradication. The leaves are alternate, 7-13 cm long and 4-7 cm broad, with finely serrated margins. The variety padus grows in Europe and western Asia, and the variety commutata in eastern Asia.

Analysis of the essential oil of Prunus padus by GC and GC/MS identified three compounds, the major one being benzaldehyde at 88.4%. The glycosides prulaurasin and amygdalin, which can be poisonous to some mammals, are present in some parts of P. padus, including the leaves, stems and fruit. Amygdalin breaks up under enzyme catalysis into benzaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and two equivalents of glucose. In plants that contain it, amygdalin and the enzymes necessary to hydrolyze it are stored in separate locations and only mix as a result of tissue damage.

The flowers are hermaphroditic and pollinated by bees and flies. The fruit is black when ripe, 8 mm in diameter, with deciduous sepals; it is strongly astringent due to its tannin content. The fruit always bears a single seed. The fruit is readily eaten by birds, which do not perceive astringency as unpleasant.

In Russia the fruit of the tree is still used for culinary purposes. The dried berries are milled into a flour of variable fineness that forms the principal ingredient of bird-cherry cake. Fresh bird cherries may also be minced and cooked to make jam. The variety commutata is sold as an ornamental tree in North America. It is valued for its hardiness and spring display of fragrant, white flowers.

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