Wild cherry

Scientific name: Prunus avium
Common name: Wild cherry

It is a member of the Rosaceae family. It is native to Asia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, but has spread throughout Europe. It grows wild in forest edges and mixed forests from Europe to the Middle East and Western Siberia. Its deep green serrated leaves are up to 15 cm long. The flowers are pinkish-white and appear in spring, but unfortunately they are sensitive to late cold. The celebrated fruits are purplish-red drupes containing a stone, with petioles up to 5 cm long.

The crop cultivation of the plant is most certainly ancient. From Asia Minor, it spread to Egypt as early as the 7th century B.C.E. and later spread to Greece, as the philosopher and botanist Theophrastus testifies to us in the 3rd century B.C.E. The arrival of the wild cherry in Italy is traditionally linked to what Pliny the Elder narrated in his chronicles. Its migration from Asia to Rome is preserved in the Latin term "cerasus," which derives from the Greek "kérasos," which in turn derives from the city of Giresos in Turkey.

Cherries are low in calories and high in water content. The sweet taste makes it ideal for jam and sweets of all kinds. The petioles of the fruit while still unripe are excellent against water retention and as an adjuvant in the treatment of cellulite, due to their strong draining properties.