Another sign of spring is the cherry plum trees in my garden. They are always the first to bloom showing their magnificent white flowers. Bees attracted to their strong scent. I stood one sunny day in front of the trees and listen the bees buzzing along feasting on the cherry plum blossoms. Robins like to eat the fruit too, ripen in late July through August. To cover the whole trees with bird net it is impossible. There are plenty of fruit to share around for human and birds.
Latin name for cherry plum, prunus cerasifera or the myrobalan cherry tree. A decidous tree belongs to the rose family, (rosaceae in Latin). Will grow from 15 feet to 30 feet. The cherry plum in my garden is about 25 feet with a spread of 30 feet. These trees are good for screening neighborhood eyesores. The flower is about 3/4 to 1 inch with 5 petals. Fruit size similar to cherry with characteristic of a plum. Cherry plum taste of a combination cherry and plum. It has a pit like cherry. Fruit color is deep red. My cherry plum tree leaves are deep green, some say they are purple, this probably came from different cultivation. In autumn the leaves turn reddish-purple.
Grown in acidic soil, might be able to grow in mild alkaline soil. Cherry plum tree prefers full sun and moist soil which is suitable growing condition in Oregon. The seeds dispersed by wild life. Walking through my property ocasionally I found cherry plum seedlings. I would dig them out and transplanted in a different place. A slow growing tree.
I like eating cherry plum picked fresh from the tree or make them into jam, chutneys, pies and cobblers. Use recipe as you are making cherry pie. Last year I made cherry plum jam and taste wonderful.
Happy Gardening
