Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)??
- Thread starter Smudge
- Start date
This might not be the most sensible answer but here goes.
I've just picked a bunch of 'cherries' which look identicle. Some of the trees vary is the size and shape of the fruit but all of them tasted like.....cherries.
that was good enough for me. There are now in a demi-john with sugar and brandy!!!!
Found this. Think the easiest clue is in the trunk bark.
"Cherry - the wild cherry's Latin name is odd because one would think prunus avium is bird cherry from the Latin! However, there is no confusing these two species in the wild.
Bird Cherry Prunus padus Rosaceae - Rose Family 1.has a more shrub-like pattern of growth than Wild Cherry
2.smooth grey-brown bark
3.flowers occur in elongated crowded heads
Wild Cherry Gean, Mazzard Prunus avium Rosaceae - Rose Family 1.grows taller than Bird Cherry and has a single main trunk
2.bark reddish-brown, shiny with horizontal bands
3.flowers in clusters growing close to the main branches
Another of the earlier trees to show foliage - slightly later than the crab apple and the guelder rose. Beautiful blossoms later in the spring, like the crab apple.
I've just picked a bunch of 'cherries' which look identicle. Some of the trees vary is the size and shape of the fruit but all of them tasted like.....cherries.
that was good enough for me. There are now in a demi-john with sugar and brandy!!!!
Found this. Think the easiest clue is in the trunk bark.
"Cherry - the wild cherry's Latin name is odd because one would think prunus avium is bird cherry from the Latin! However, there is no confusing these two species in the wild.
Bird Cherry Prunus padus Rosaceae - Rose Family 1.has a more shrub-like pattern of growth than Wild Cherry
2.smooth grey-brown bark
3.flowers occur in elongated crowded heads
Wild Cherry Gean, Mazzard Prunus avium Rosaceae - Rose Family 1.grows taller than Bird Cherry and has a single main trunk
2.bark reddish-brown, shiny with horizontal bands
3.flowers in clusters growing close to the main branches
Another of the earlier trees to show foliage - slightly later than the crab apple and the guelder rose. Beautiful blossoms later in the spring, like the crab apple.
Thats the problem with common names, damn confusing sometimes. Its even more confusing when speaking to people in other countries about species of tree.
Looks like P.Avium to me and i have eaten a lot and used the timber lots of times. Flavour can vary year to year and tree to tree so before you bag a load make sure to sample a few first.
Looks like P.Avium to me and i have eaten a lot and used the timber lots of times. Flavour can vary year to year and tree to tree so before you bag a load make sure to sample a few first.
Prunus padus is the bird cherry (or hackberry) while prunus avium is the wild cherry (the gean).
Those look like geans. Bird cherries are wee black berries and they're generally sour as sour can be. Can you check the leaf stalks though? there should be a bump of two on them near the leaf. These are glands and sometimes not terribly obvious, but they will be there if it's a cherry.
Thing is though, the cherries, like apples, happily breed among themselves and produce hybrids. Some taste brilliant, some are really better left for the birds.
The stones aside, the one saving grace is that none of their fruits are poisonous....just make sure it's a cherry or one of the plum family (they can be confusing
) and folks don't always leave stems on to check when they get home) and it'll be fine.
Cherries and their relatives can identified by examining the base of the leaves. This is a googled image of the wee bumps on the leaf stalk (petiole) just below the leaf.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...vvUczbGsKg0QXGtoG4BQ&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAQ&dur=2553
cheers,
M
p.s. Sorry, just re-read Dwardo's post and this sounds as though I'm contradicting him, but I'm not really; the cherries really do interbreed and then only the botanists can manage to sort them out.
M
Those look like geans. Bird cherries are wee black berries and they're generally sour as sour can be. Can you check the leaf stalks though? there should be a bump of two on them near the leaf. These are glands and sometimes not terribly obvious, but they will be there if it's a cherry.
Thing is though, the cherries, like apples, happily breed among themselves and produce hybrids. Some taste brilliant, some are really better left for the birds.
The stones aside, the one saving grace is that none of their fruits are poisonous....just make sure it's a cherry or one of the plum family (they can be confusing
) and folks don't always leave stems on to check when they get home) and it'll be fine.Cherries and their relatives can identified by examining the base of the leaves. This is a googled image of the wee bumps on the leaf stalk (petiole) just below the leaf.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...vvUczbGsKg0QXGtoG4BQ&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAQ&dur=2553
cheers,
M
p.s. Sorry, just re-read Dwardo's post and this sounds as though I'm contradicting him, but I'm not really; the cherries really do interbreed and then only the botanists can manage to sort them out.
M
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BILLy.
I just use about a pound of cherries with the stones out (as it might go woody) and a bottle of cheap supermarket brandy. Add about a pound of sugar.
You can taste it fairly early, after a couple of days. Adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar if required.
It works well with rasps and vodka. Many an un-sober night on the raspberry vodka.
For the clearer spirits I usually filter through a funnel and kitchen paper.
Cheers
Brian
I just use about a pound of cherries with the stones out (as it might go woody) and a bottle of cheap supermarket brandy. Add about a pound of sugar.
You can taste it fairly early, after a couple of days. Adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar if required.
It works well with rasps and vodka. Many an un-sober night on the raspberry vodka.
For the clearer spirits I usually filter through a funnel and kitchen paper.
Cheers
Brian
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