Bird cherry heady aroma: when it blooms and what the plant looks like
Oddly enough, the northern expanses of Africa are considered the homeland of the bird cherry, but in our area it has found a refuge for itself. Huge bushes or luxurious trees can often be found not only in the wild, but also in private areas. It is not surprising, because berries, leaves and even bark have healing properties. They are used to prepare medicinal decoctions, tinctures, ointments, lotions, compresses and are widely used in folk medicine. And the sprawling bush itself is able not only to be beneficial, but also to deliver a lot of aesthetic pleasure, decorating the garden, especially during flowering. Perhaps, in beauty, few can compare with it: at a time when the leaves are just beginning to bloom, the abundance of small white fragrant inflorescences completely covers the shoots and it seems that the tree has become a large snowdrift. Those who decide to capture this phenomenon in a photo will not hurt to know what it is and when the bird cherry blossoms, so as not to miss the opportunity to take a gorgeous shot.
What does the plant look like?
Bird cherry is a plant from the plum genus, the pink family. It is a spreading bush or a decent-sized tree up to 10 m high. The trunk and old shoots have a beautiful black-gray color, while the young branches are reddish-olive. The leaves are light green, oblong, up to 10 cm in length, quite densely arranged on the branches in a regular order, which allows you to create a dense crown and good shadow. With the arrival of autumn, they turn yellow and fall off.
When does bloom begin?
Blooms bird cherry at a time when the weather is already stable on the street. Usually, it blooms almost immediately after the cherry plum. In warm regions with early spring, this happens in April, but in the northern latitudes, where the winter is long, the bird cherry opens its buds at the end of May.
The more light in the area where the bird cherry grows, the more abundantly it blooms.
Huge clusters of small white flowers cover the bush, emitting an intoxicating sweet smell that can be felt even on the way to the tree. It is so strong that with prolonged "inhalation" it can even provoke headaches, so you should not put branches in a vase in the house, it is better to admire them on the street.
But some insects do not really like the sweet bird cherry smell. Mosquitoes and flies are said to be immediately evacuated from the room where the flowering twig is. The main thing is to open the door in time and show them the way out, and also do not forget to ventilate the room.
At the end of flowering, fruits are tied on the brushes - round, black and sweet berries, similar to currant... There are varieties in which the berries have a different color, for example, red or brown.