Prunus padus Nana - Bird cherry

Prunus padus 'Nana' is a compact form of the Bird Cherry, recognisable by its "ball" shape. This tree has a moderate growth and carries a beautiful globose crown at the top of a very straight stem. In spring, it is adorned with highly fragrant, honey-producing clusters of white flowers, followed by a few small black cherries sought after by birds. The Bird Cherry is perfect for clay and limestone soils. Suitable for small to medium-sized gardens, it can be planted as a standalone specimen or in rows.

Prunus padus 'Nana' is a dwarf variety grafted onto a stem. The species is a small tree from the large Rosaceae family, known by various names such as amaruvier, stinking wood, depending on the region. It is native to Europe, northern Asia, and can be found as far as Japan. Its natural habitat corresponds to rather humid environments, where it grows spontaneously on clayey, often limestone, soils that are seasonally waterlogged. This shrub, which suckers when not grafted, spontaneously forms thickets, but it does not appreciate competition from other shrubs. The 'Nana' cultivar has a globose habit with smaller flowers and leaves as well as slower growth. At maturity, the tree will reach between 3 and 4 m in height and 2 to 3 m in width, depending on the growing conditions.

In the Bird Cherry 'Nana', the bark of the trunk and older branches is dark brown and peels off in strips, while the twigs are reddish-brown. The branches emit a scent of bitter almond when broken, which earned it the name "stinking wood". The young spring leaves are pale green and appear during flowering. The mature leaves are darker green, with many tufts of down on the underside. They are ovate to obovate, finely toothed along the edges. This deciduous foliage turns yellow to orange-yellow in autumn before falling. Flowering occurs in April-May (sometimes in June) depending on the region, on twigs with young leaves. The 1 cm in diameter flowers with 5 white petals have a delightful almond fragrance and are arranged in clusters measuring up to 12 cm long. Pollinated by insects, these nectar-rich flowers give way to small black "cherries" the size of a pea, ripening in August. Bitter to sour in taste and astringent, these berries are not very fleshy and have large stones, and they are scarce or even absent on this variety. Some birds are fond of them.

Prunus padus 'Nana' is a very hardy small tree that will thrive in many regions, as long as it has deep soil for its roots to dive into. It can be planted as a standalone specimen on a lawn or in the centre of a bed of perennials and low-growing shrubs. Plant some ground cover roses or Nandina domestica 'Fire Power' at its base to accompany it. In a more spacious garden, whether it's a classic or contemporary style, several plants can be planted along a wide path or two specimens can be used on either side of a gate.