In spring and autumn it can be difficult to distinguish the wild cherry from other deciduous trees and especially from sweet cherries. In addition to the cross-striped and blackish bark, the leaves can give a clear indication of the bird cherry.
your basic shape
The foliage of the wild cherry sits in an alternate sequence on the branches. It is screwed to the sprout and usually appears together with the flowers towards the beginning/middle of May.
After the leaves have emerged from their folded bud layer, their simple form is revealed. They are divided into petiole and leaf blade. They adhere to a 2 to 7 cm long and hairless stem. This is provided with two reddish nectar glands at its upper end. These glands serve to attract ants that eat pesky caterpillars on the leaves.
Furthermore, the leaves of the bird cherry are:
- smaller than that of the sweet cherry
- 3 to 15 cm long and 2 to 7 cm wide
- obovate to elliptic
- long pointed
- rough, double and irregularly serrated at the edge (teeth pointing forward)
- thin and flabby
- wedge-shaped to rounded at the base
Your color(s) throughout the year
The appearance of wild cherry leaves changes over the course of the year. When they sprout, the main leaves and the side leaves, which are on average 1 cm long, are a lush green and very shiny.
In summer the leaves turn a lime green color. The underside of the leaves is lighter in color. She looks pale green. In addition, it is covered by soft hairs on the small veins. On the other hand, the upper side is bare, shiny and slightly wrinkled.
In autumn, the face of the leaves undergoes another change. Then it takes on bright colors between yellow, orange and fiery red. After dropping in October, the foliage quickly decomposes.
tips and tricks
Like the fruit and flowers, the leaves are non-toxic and edible. They have a delicate cherry aroma. They are tastiest when freshly sprouted.