Small-toothed Bird Cherry

Family Rosaceae (Rosaceae). It grows in the Far East, in the southern part of Primorye, in Northeastern China, Korea, and Japan. A very interesting bird cherry, previously assigned at times to the genus of plum and at times to the genus of cherry. It was this species, along with other species, that was used to obtain such extremely ornamental trees as the Japanese sakura.

A tall, spreading tree up to 25 m high, with an ovate crown, brownish- or brown-gray, smooth bark, with large lenticels that persist for a long time. Shoots glabrous, yellowish-gray. Leaves from ovate to elliptic, narrowed to a pointed tip, rounded at the base, with sparse white hairs; when unfolding - purplish or bronze above; in summer - light green to orange; purple or brown in autumn. On the underside the leaves are paler, finely appressed-pubescent along the veins

At the same time as the leaves, white, sometimes pinkish flowers open, up to 3 cm in diameter, grouped 2–4 in short, almost corymb-like racemes up to 5 cm long. These striking flowers are the main attraction of the tree; they appear in the first half of May. Fruits are drupes, purple before ripening, then black, rounded-elliptic, up to 1 cm, inedible.