Bird cherry (Prunus padus) is a type of low trees of the pink family. It is found throughout Russia, in Western Europe, in some regions of Asia. Wild bird cherry grows mainly in mixed forests and shrubs. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden plant, thanks to its lush crown and beautiful flowering. By the bird cherry you can predict the weather – when the bird cherry blossoms, a cold snap usually occurs.
Bird cherry berries are sour, with a slightly astringent taste, edible and rich in various useful substances. They are harvested after ripening, always in dry weather, harvested for future use in a darkened place. It is best to dry bird cherry berries at a high temperature – 60-70 degrees. Such bird cherry retains useful properties throughout the year. Harvested dried leaves of trees are also very useful and can be stored for 3-5 years.
The composition and useful properties of bird cherry
The composition of bird cherry contains malic and citric acids, glucose and fructose, glycoside, tannins and dyes. In the seeds of the berries there is a poisonous substance, amygdalin, during the decomposition of which hydrocyanic acid is released. Therefore, it is very important not to swallow or bite the bones.
The leaves of bird cherry contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, phytoncides. The composition also includes quite rare mineral elements – titanium, strontium, molybdenum.
Why is bird cherry useful? It is widely used in traditional medicine. Infusion and decoction of bird cherry is used as a remedy for disinfection and intestinal disorders. Infusion on flowers is used to treat eye inflammations, diseases of the mucous membranes of the throat and nasopharynx. Decoctions and teas from the leaves and berries of bird cherry help digestion, stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, and help with kidney infections.
In the past, fresh bird cherry berries were used for toothache as a pain reliever. A decoction of the bark as an anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic and diuretic.
The berry is little used in cooking due to the difficulty in extracting the seeds. Bird cherry is best consumed fresh, or used for preparing compotes, fruit drinks, decoctions and infusions, while carefully filtering and discarding used raw materials.
