NEN Gallery

The cherry-plum is flowering early. A shrub or small tree usually less than 10m high, cherry-plum usually starts flowering in March, and is the first white-flowered blossom tree (usually 2-3 weeks before blackthorn) producing flowers about 2cm across. It flowers at the same time as the young leaves. The shiny, sometimes spiny twigs carry pointed oval leaves and the twigs stay green until their third year. The pinkish red fruits only mature in a hot summer. A native of South-eastern Europe, the cherry plum is now widely found across England. Picture taken 18th February 2007.