Shrubs🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -25°C

Bird Cherry

Prunus padus

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Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) is a native shrub or small tree of rich forests, forest edges, hedgerows, shrubberies, hedges, spring forests, moist dune valleys and wet thickets on the inner dune edge. The species has light green, non-glossy leaves with serrated edges and clear veins on the underside. In April and May, Bird Cherry blooms with long clusters of white flowers. The flower clusters stand upright at first and later become pendulous. After flowering, dark blue to black stone fruits form, which are eaten mainly by birds. Bird Cherry grows best on humic, moisture-retentive, moderately nutrient-rich to nutrient-rich soil and fits well in native hedges, bird shrubberies, forest edges, garden planting, natural gardens and landscape planting.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jun–Sep

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

Preferably prune Bird Cherry lightly after flowering or in the summer. Remove dead, crossing or unwanted branches and keep the natural shape as intact as possible. The species can spread locally through root suckers; unwanted suckers can be pruned or dug out.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Sun, Half shade

Soil type: Clay, Sand, Loam, Humus-rich

Moisture need: Moderately moist, Moist, Wet / marshy

pH: Neutral (6.5–7.5), Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Chalky (>7.5)

Nutrient richness: Moderately nutrient-rich, Nutrient-rich

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-rich

Water drainage: Moisture-retentive, Well draining, Poorly draining

Appearance & season

Mature height: 800-1800cm

Bloom: Apr-May

Autumn colour: Yellow to yellow-brown. The ornamental value lies mainly in the white flower clusters, the hanging fruit clusters and the natural shrub or tree form.

Properties

Salt sensitive: No

Edible: No

Scent: Floral scent: distinctly sweet, almond-like to bird-cherry-like. Bruised twigs and bark can give off a strong, somewhat bitter almond-like scent.

Ecological value

Bird Cherry is valuable for pollinators, birds and natural shrubberies. The white flowers attract bees, hoverflies, beetles, flies and other insects in the spring. There are small nectar glands at the leaf stalks that attract ants, beetles and bees, among others. The dark stone fruits are important food for birds, which spread the seeds. In addition, the shrub or small tree provides cover and nesting in forest edges, hedges and moist shrubberies. Bird Cherry is also a native host plant for various insects and contributes to a rich, natural forest edge.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsVery useful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesVery useful

🪰 HoverfliesVery useful

🦋 ButterfliesUseful

🪲 Beetles & insectsExtremely useful

🐦 BirdsVery useful

🐿️ MammalsVery useful

🐞 Other animalsUseful

Bird Cherry is especially valuable due to the early white flower clusters, dark bird fruits and strong function in moist forest edges and native shrubberies. This is the native Bird Cherry, not the invasive American bird cherry.

Distribution in the Netherlands