Sweet Cherry
Prunus avium
Also known as: Sweet Almond
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Krym, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Roger Culos
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- Prunus avium
- USDA Symbol:
- PRAV
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 2000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
almond moth (Cadra cautella), Archips nr. argyrospilus, Ashen Pinion (Lithophane antennata), Black-etched Prominent (Cerura scitiscripta), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Carob moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Cinnamon Tussock Moth (Dasychira cinnamomea), Elegant Sheep Moth (Hemileuca eglanterina), Ephestiodes infimella, Euchlaena pectinaria, Eulia Leafroller (Eulia ministrana), Eumacaria latiferrugata, fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Fig moth (Cadra figulilella), fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), Garden Rose Tortrix (Acleris variegana), green oak slug moth (Parasa chloris), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), Io moth (Automeris io), Isa textula, lanceolate dagger moth (Acronicta lanceolaria), Large Lace-border (Scopula limboundata), leaf crumpler moth (Acrobasis indigenella), lesser peachtree borer (Synanthedon pictipes), Monoleuca semifascia, northern furcula moth (Furcula borealis), Obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), orange tortrix moth (Argyrotaenia citrana), Pandemis leafroller (Pandemis pyrusana), Parornix geminatella, Peach tree borer (Synanthedon exitiosa), Phyllonorycter crataegella, reticulated sparganothis moth (Sparganothis reticulatana), stinging rose caterpillar (Parasa indetermina), ugly-nest caterpillar moth (Archips cerasivorana), Ultronia underwing (Catocala ultronia), Wild Cherry Sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Common eastern (Bombus impatiens) Moths:Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana) Butterflies:⚠️Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow, orange, red
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers deep soils with good fertility
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–150 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification; germination can be erratic. Fresh seed germinates better than stored seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI