Prunus avium

Prunus avium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus
Subgenus: Prunus subg. Cerasus
Section: P. sect. Cerasus
Species:
P. avium
Binomial name
Prunus avium
Distribution map
Synonyms
List
    • Prunus cerasus var. avium L.
    • Cerasus avium (L.) Moench
    • Druparia avium (L.) Clairv.
    • Prunus bigarella Dumort.
    • Prunus duracina (L.) Sweet
    • Prunus juliana (L.) Gaudin
    • Prunus nigricans Ehrh.
    • Prunus varia Ehrh.

Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry or gean is a species of cherry, a flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized elsewhere. It is an ancestor of P. cerasus (sour cherry).

All parts of the plant except for the ripe fruit are slightly toxic, containing cyanogenic glycosides. The species is often cultivated as an ornamental tree.