Mahaleb Cherry

This species is cultivated as an ornamental and as grafting stock for other cultivated Prunoideae.

Shrubs, rarely trees, sometimes attaining 10–13 m tall. Branchlets grayish brown, densely pubescent. Winter buds ovoid, densely pubescent, glabrescent. Stipules ovate-lanceolate, caducous, margin gland-tipped fimbriate. Petiole 2–3 cm, pubescent when young, glabrescent, with 1 or 2 nectaries at apex or at leaf blade base; leaf blade ovate, suborbicular, or elliptic, 3.5–5 × 2.5–3.5 cm, abaxially pale green and pubescent, adaxially green and glabrous, base rounded, margin obtusely glandular-crenate, apex obtusely cuspidate to tapering-acuminate; secondary veins 8–12 on either side of midvein. Inflorescences corymbose-racemose, 4–5 cm, 5–8-flowered, with 2 or 3 small leaves near base; rachis glabrous; bracts brown, ovate, 0.5–1 mm in diam., membranous, apex serrate. Flowers opening ± before leaves. Pedicel 1–1.5 cm, glabrous. Hypanthium obconical to campanulate, ca. 3 × 3 mm, outside glabrous. Sepals oblong-ovate, slightly shorter than hypanthium, margin entire, apex rounded. Petals white, obovate to shortly elliptic, ca. 5 × 4 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 20–25, slightly shorter than petals. Ovary glabrous; stigma capitate. Drupe black when ripe, subglobose, 7–8 mm in diam.; endocarp ovoid but laterally compressed, smooth. Fl. May, fr. Jul.

Cultivated. Hebei, Liaoning [native to SW Asia and Europe].

Prunus mahaleb Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 474. 1753; Padellus mahaleb (Linnaeus) Vassilczenko; Padus mahaleb (Linnaeus) Borkhausen.