Prunus subg. Padus


Prunus subg. Padus, the bird cherries, is a subgenus of Prunus, characterised by having deciduous leaves, flowers 12–30 together on slender racemes produced in late spring well after leaf emergence, and small, sour fruit usually only palatable to birds, hence the name. They are native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere.
Bird cherries are sometimes used as a food plant by Lepidoptera species including brimstone moth.
Some bird cherries, such as chokecherries, are used to make jelly and wine in North America.
Some botanists treated the subgenus as a distinct genus Padus. Genetic and morphological studies have shown that Padus is polyphyletic and therefore should not be used as a taxon name.

Species

In Finland and Sweden, the blooming of bird cherry signifies the start of the summer for many people. In southern Finland, this normally takes place during the two last weeks of May or very early June.