Bird Cherry - Prunus padus

Tree or shrub to 17 metres, bark foetid, brown and peeling. Leaves elliptical, pointed and toothed. Flowers white, 10 to 16 mm, in long slender pendent racemes, heavily scented. Fruit small, shiny, black 6 to 8 mm, globose and bitter tasting.

Many trees are naturalised from planting, or garden escapes, usually seen on roadside verges.

May to June.

Deciduous.

Occasional throughout Britain, but rare in the south of England.

Infrequent in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 4 of the 617 tetrads.