Parts Most Frequently Used: Western – Dried Inner Bark (from Root and Branches), Fruit (also for Jams and Liqueurs). Eastern – The Cherry Pit.​

Flavors/Temps: Western – Astringent, Bitter. Eastern – Slight Sweet, Pungent, Cool, Dry.

Caution: Not recommended for small children, during pregnancy, or if you have severe liver disease. While the fruit, pits, and bark are used medicinally, the leaves are highly toxic containing hydrocyanic acid, and are not recommended for use by humans or livestock.

Key Constituents: Western – Acetylcholine, HCN, Kaempferol, P-coumaric acid, Quercetin, Tannins. Hydrogen Cyanide, Cyanogenic glycosides, Scopoletin, Tannin, Lignin, Coumarins, Resin, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Essential oil, Starch. Eastern – Lipid, Amygdalin, Vitamin B and C.

History/Folklore: From ancient times the Cherry Tree has been associated with virginity, with the red-colored fruit and its enclosed seed as the symbol of the uterus. Buddhism teaches that Maya, the virgin mother of Buddha, was supported by the holy cherry tree during her pregnancy. The Danes felt it was important for a pregnant woman to eat cherries to ensure another good crop.

Cherries were used medicinally during the Middle Ages with the bark placed at the door, to ward off plague. Culpeper, the 17th-century English herbalist, said that the different flavors of cherries, from sweet to more bitter, allowed them to be used differently. He also used the gum of the Cherry tree dissolved in wine to treat coughs, colds, and sore throats. Wild Cherry pits have been found in European Bronze Age settlements dating to 2000 BC.

By 800 BC the trees were being cultivated in Asia Minor and Greece. Compounds in cherry juice significantly reduce the chemicals that can cause joint inflammation. The Chinese grind Prunus japonica pits in mortar and pestle before using it. Good quality Cherry pits are light yellow and do not exude any oils. Some feel it is a good substitute for American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius).

Cherrywood is also used to smoke meat and is cultivated in many places as an ornamental tree for the garden. It is known for its strong red wood by woodworkers and carpenters.

Cherries (of any kind) are also one of the few foods that naturally contain melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. Sipping tart cherries before you go to bed can help you sleep. Tart cherries (A.K.A sour cherries) also contain 19 times the amount of beta-carotene as is found in blueberries! So eat up and stay healthy!

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the Chinese variety, Prunus japonica, is considered neutral in effect. This means the herb will not impact Yin or Yang so it can be used in many instances as it will not tip the balance of these two Key functions in the Body in either direction. Its bitter properties tend to be cleansed by clearing heat, drying dampness, and promoting elimination via urination. The savory qualities encourage the Circulation of Qi and Body Fluids, and the sweet properties slow down acute reactions and detoxify the Body, having a tonic effect on Qi and Blood.

In Ireland, the wild cherry, also known as gean, symbolizes nature’s beauty and youthfulness. Coming across a wild cherry tree In the Highlands was considered good luck. In Irish law, the wild cherry is second in the highest rank of protection along with the rowan and hawthorn trees. Cutting down a wild cherry tree was punishable by law. The tree’s spring blossoms and hanging cherries are said to represent natural beauty. They are associated with love and the blossoming of relationships. In Greek mythology, they are associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

Planting a wild cherry tree as a memorial symbolizes the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Symbolizing renewal, hope, and keeping the memory of the loved one alive. In Japan, cherry blossoms are also a symbol of the transience of all things.

Wild cherries are used to make ink or dye of a purple or blue color.