Status
Conservation status
Not protected
Native status
Native
Species Biology
Identification
Flowers: April – May; white flowers, sepals strongly bent backwards.
Fruit: Dark red cherry, edible but bitter
Twigs & bark: Twigs red/brown upper surface, pale underneath; bark dark grey/pink, shining
Habitat
Woods and hedges especially on fertile, lime-rich soils
Life cycle
Perennial
Ex-situ conservation
Not known
Use
Food crop
Vegetative nature
Woody
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Irish distribution
Occasional, especially in the eastern half, widely planted
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2025
The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.
Further information
Although native, it is commonly planted throughout the country. The fruits are dark red and bitter but Prunus avium is the cherry species from which most of our sweet cherry tree cultivars are derived.
Like most cherries, the fruits are favoured by the blackbird and thrush