bird cherry

bird cherry (plural bird cherries)

1. A cherry tree, Prunus padus, native to northern Eurasia.
   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 280:

     On the verdant slope and down by the edge of the water, the bird-cherry and the mountain ash displayed their flowery garb of summer.

2. Any of several species of cherry trees sometimes grouped in the subgenus Prunus subg. Padus or section Prunus sect. Laurocerasus of Prunus subg. Cerasus.
   1. Prunus buergeriana (Japanese bird cherry), of eastern Asia.
   2. Prunus cornuta (Himalayan bird cherry).
   3. Prunus grayana (Gray's bird cherry), of Japan.
   4. Prunus padus var. commutata (Asian bird cherry), of eastern Asia.
   5. Prunus pensylvanica of North America (vernacular names: fire cherry, pin cherry, and red cherry).
   6. Prunus ssiori (Hokkaido bird cherry).
3. A berry (fruit) produced by these trees.
4. (rare) Sweet cherry, Prunus avium.

• (Prunus padus): hackberry, hagberry, Mayday tree

• European bird cherry (Prunus padus var. padus)
• Asian bird cherry (Prunus padus var. commutata)