The prunus avium or wild cherry tree produces delicious cherries and people have been enjoying them for thousands of years. This tree is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa and in some areas of the world; the bark of the tree is used as a replacement for chewing gum because it is sweet and aromatic. The stalk can be made into medicines that include diuretics and astringents. The wild cherry tree has more to offer than delicious fruit. It can also be a beautiful addition to any garden area.
The bark on this tree is a purplish brown color and the leaves are glossy and shiny and they are a lighter green color. Each stem from this plant has reddish colored glands or nodules that can be seen directly under the leaves. The leaves change color when the weather becomes cold and they include orange and red. This happens before the leaves fall from the tree. The wild cherry tree has blooms that appear in early spring. They have 5 white petals that are round in shape and they also have a soft yellow looking center. This tree produces fruit right after the blooms appear. The fruit is perfectly safe to eat but it is recommended that no other part of the plant can be consumed because it is considered slightly poisonous. Insects like butterflies and bees are attracted to the blooms and fruit and if you choose to keep a wild cherry tree, you will attract birds and insects to your garden area.
This tree can reach up to 40 feet in height and it is also cold weather friendly. It can live and thrive in temperatures that go below zero and this makes it an easy to grow a plant. If you were thinking about keeping a wild cherry tree, there are a few tips that can be helpful.
Before you plant your tree, you should fertilize the soil to give the plant an added boost. This plant likes neutral to mildly acidic soil and you can make sure that your soil has the proper nutrients by purchasing a soil tester kit from your local home and garden center. It will indicate if your soil needs any extra help and you will be able to purchase the best fertilizer for the soil. Natural fertilizers like manure and compost can also be great for the growing tree. Before you plant, mix the fertilizer into the soil and water thoroughly.
This plant likes a mix of sunlight and shading. Most plants that live through cold winters cannot handle hot direct sunlight for long periods of time. But because the wild cherry tree produces both blooms and fruit, it does need a bit of sunlight to help produce these things. You should place your plant in an area that has morning sunlight and afternoon shading. The sun in the afternoon is much hotter than the morning sun and it can damage the leaves as well as the blooms. As long as this plant has sun in the morning, it will receive the sunlight that it needs.
When it comes to watering this plant, you should saturate the soil at least twice a week while the plant is growing. Be sure that the water does not pool around the base of the tree because this can cause root rot. You can avoid this by planting the wild cherry tree on a slight hill so that the water drains away from the roots. When the plant fully matures, you can even out the soil and reduce watering to once a week. During the hot summer months, make sure the soil never becomes dry or sandy and water more often if you have to.
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