Prunus avium is a deciduous fruiting tree that typically grows 20 to 30 feet tall in cultivation but may reach 60 feet in its native habitat. It is native to Europe and Asia and has been cultivated in the United States since colonial times. It is a parent of many of the sweet cherry cultivars sold in commerce today for fruit production such as the popular Bing Cherry. Fragrant white flowers to 1.5 inches appear singly or in 3 to 5 flowered clusters in spring slightly before the foliage emerges. Flowers are followed by small sweet red to black cherries which ripen in early summer. Oval, dull, dark green leaves to 6 inches long turn yellow in fall. Birds and squirrels love the fruit, and are undoubtedly in part responsible for the naturalization of this tree from gardens into the wild in eastern and Midwestern North America. Avium is from the Latin word for bird. The hard, reddish-brown wood (cherry wood) is valued as a hardwood for woodturning, making cabinets and musical instruments.
