Common bird cherry is often used as an ornamental plant in the design of gardens and parks. She is a great honey plant. Her white flower clusters delight the eye. But if you want to have not only beauty in your garden, but also to draw practical benefit from it, plant one of the American plant species near the house. Meet the bird cherry late. This overseas guest at first glance is not much different from her European sister. However, it gives fruit not an example larger. Not only blackbirds can feast on them, but also humans. Therefore, late bird cherry is also called "American cherry". But even more like red cherries gives her fruit a close sister. It is called the Virgin bird cherry. In this article we will talk about these two types of plants. Should I plant them in the garden? How to care for overseas trees? What to make of fruits? Find out if you read the article.
Where did these “emigrants” come from and why are they called so?
Bird cherry Virginia and later wild in common form in the eastern United States. However, the habitats of these two species are still different. Bird cherry Virginia is not limited to one state of the same name. It grows well in all areas with a temperate climate, that is, in the southern provinces of Canada too. And in its distribution, it reaches almost the Pacific coast. But her sister, the late bird cherry, is more thermophilic. The northern border of the range does not go beyond the Great Lakes, but to the south it extends almost to the Gulf of Mexico. In the western United States, it is found in certain populations in the states of New Mexico and Arizona. You can see it in nature and to the south. So, she feels great in the mountains of Guatemala and Mexico. This bird cherry received the name “late” because it blooms two or even four weeks later than the ordinary species. In their homeland they call it “rum cherry”. And this name, given to the plant for the taste of berries, is the best recommendation for the tree.
Bird cherry late: description
This species is scientifically called Prúnus serótina, that is, botany refers it to the genus Plum. But bird cherry belongs to the family Pink. Prunus Serotina is a rather large tree, grows up to 30 meters high. Like ordinary bird cherry, the latter often forms a bush with a spreading, regular oval-shaped crown. It is a very fast growing tree. For a year it adds to its height about sixty centimeters. Late bird cherry is distinguished from its European sister primarily by bark. Even in winter, the tree is easy to recognize by its smooth, like birch, but dark cherry bark with a pleasant almond smell. Leaves of late bird cherry up to twelve centimeters in length, broadly lanceolate. They have a dark green color with a touch of bronze. The leaves above are glossy, and the bottom is lighter. This tree serves as a decoration of park alleys, since in the fall it dresses in all conceivable shades of red and yellow. But as for the aroma of flowers, the European look is more fragrant and melliferous. But the clusters of common and late bird cherry have similar. Flowers of both species are white, small.
The benefits and harms of late bird cherry
The American species has very beautiful and easy to process wood. It is red and furniture and various crafts are made from it in America. At the same time, the wood retains a thin almond smell for a long time. It does not crack or warp. An interesting fact is that the North American Indians have long used the fruits of the tree as a medicine, and the infusion of the bark - as a means of healing purulent wounds. But for what late housewives love bird cherry, it’s for the taste of the fruit. A fairly large (1 centimeter in diameter) dark red drupes forms in July and matures by the end of August or September. Ripe fruits have an almost black color and a very pleasant taste of cherries aged in rum. From the berries in the homeland, plants make jam, jams, fillings for pies, tinctures and liqueurs. The harm from the late bird cherry is the same as from her European sister. You can not plant trees near pastures. The leaves and bark of bird cherry contains hydrocyanic acid and cyanide. When rotting dead branches, the concentration of these substances increases and can be dangerous for herbivores.
Virgin bird cherry: description
This species has larger inflorescences. And, therefore, berries. The “virgin” blooms in the same period as the late bird cherry. The fruits also ripen by the end of summer. At first they are red as cherries. Ripening, they darken like cherries, to maroon, almost black. Bunches are similar to currants, only berries are much larger. The fruits of the Virgin bird cherry are also very tasty. In the United States and Canada, several dozen varieties of this species were bred. There are trees with red leaves, and those that have pink rather than white inflorescences, and with terry petals. Since the Virgin cherry is more frost-resistant than the later (after all, the area of its natural distribution extends to the central provinces of Canada), it can also be cultivated in Russian gardens.
The most popular varieties
If you want your garden to look beautiful and spectacular, and at the same time require minimal care, plant a Siberian beauty. This variety is the fruit of the crossing of two species: ordinary bird cherry + Virgin. In the garden, Beauty is distinguished primarily by purple foliage. In May, the crown is green, but by July begins to blush. After that, the upper side of the leaf turns purple, and the lower side becomes light purple. In the wind, the play of shades is very impressive. Since these varieties reproduce by cross-pollination, at least two trees need to be planted. If the Siberian beauty was bred with the help of the Canadian variety Virgin Shuberta (because of which her leaves got such a bluish-red hue), then the bird cherry Late Joy has few other ancestors. Her pedigree also has a common European ancestor. But the sling to the local species was done with wild Virgin cherry.
How to create the right conditions for American varieties?
In the Russian non-black soil it is better to give preference to the virgin species. It is more resistant to late frosts. But we should not forget that all bird cherry trees love the light, so they do not need to be planted in shaded areas. Both Virgin and late species are undemanding to soils. But if you want a beautifully shaped crown and a generous harvest, make sure that the soil is rich in minerals and well loosened. The occurrence of water should be at least one and a half meters from the surface. To the credit of overseas trees, it must be said that they do not behave like aggressive neophytes. That is, they do not jam other trees and shrubs in your garden. On the contrary, they attract pollinators, enrich and loosen the soil.
