Cherry plum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cherry plum
Scientific classification
Genus:	Prunus
Species:	cerasifera

The Prunus cerasifera is a type of plum often called the cherry plum or myrobalan plum. It originally comes from Southeast Europe and Western Asia. You can also find it growing naturally in the British Isles and some parts of North America. In some areas of Southeast Australia, it grows wild and is seen as a mild weed in natural bushland near cities.

What it Looks Like

Wild cherry plum plants are usually large shrubs or small trees. They can grow to be about 8 to 12 meters (25 to 40 feet) tall. Sometimes, they have thorns. Their leaves are oval-shaped and fall off in autumn (they are deciduous). These leaves are about 3 to 7 centimeters long.

The cherry plum is one of the first trees in Europe to flower in spring. It often starts blooming in mid-February, even before its leaves appear! The flowers are white or light pink and about 2 centimeters across. Each flower has five petals and many stamens (the parts that make pollen).

The fruit is an edible drupe, which means it has a single hard pit inside, like a peach or cherry. The fruits are 2 to 3 centimeters wide and change from yellow to red as they ripen. They are ready to eat from early July to mid-September. Cherry plums can pollinate themselves, but they can also be pollinated by other types of Prunus plants, like the Victoria plum. This plant spreads by its seeds or by sending up new shoots from its roots. It is often used as the base plant (rootstock) for growing other types of plums and cherries.

Growing Cherry Plums

The cherry plum is a popular ornamental tree for gardens and landscaping. People love it because its flowers appear very early in spring. Many different kinds, called cultivars, have been created. Some are chosen for their beautiful purple leaves.

For example, the 'Nigra' cultivar has black leaves and pink flowers. It has even won an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, which means it's a great plant for gardens. Another plant, Prunus × cistena (also known as purple leaf sand cherry), is a mix of Prunus cerasifera and the sand cherry (Prunus pumila). It also won the Award of Garden Merit.

These purple-leaf types of plums also grow dark purple fruits. These fruits make a very tasty, deeply colored jam! The flowers on these trees can be white or pink. Other types, like 'Lindsayae', have green leaves. Some purple-leaf plums are even used for bonsai, which is the art of growing miniature trees in containers, and other forms of living sculpture.

Cherry plums grown by people can have fruits, leaves, and flowers in many different colors. Some types have sweet fruits that you can eat fresh. Others are more sour and are better for making jam. Cherry plums are a very important ingredient in Georgian cuisine. They are used to make a sour sauce called tkemali. They are also used in popular dishes like kharcho soup and chakapuli stew.

Images for kids

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  Flowers being pollinated

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  Ripe fruit

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  Flowers

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  Prunus cerasifera bonsai (shohin size)

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  Close-up flower

See also

In Spanish: Prunus cerasifera para niños