BIRD CHERRY

Bird Cherry

Prunus padus

Often mistaken for a wild lilac, the bird cherry is common in Ryedale woods. Bird cherry detail It forms a shrub or small tree and is a true Prunus cherry, actually quite closely related to the wild cherry. The individual flower-spikes are very attractive; these wild flowers have a strong almondy scent during their brief flowering season, usually only a week or so in early May. The fruit is in the form of small black "cherries" far too bitter for human consumption!.