Prunus avium, commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry, or gean, is widely cultivated in other regions and has become naturalized in North America. All parts of the plant except for the ripe fruit are slightly toxic, containing cyanogenic glycosides. Prunus avium is a deciduous tree growing to 15–32 m (49–105 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in diameter. The fruit are readily eaten by numerous kinds of birds and mammals, which digest the fruit flesh and disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some rodents, and a few birds (notably the hawfinch), also crack open the stones to eat the kernel inside.
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