Prunus mahaleb

This is a shrub or small tree which can reach 10 m in height. It has a greyish trunk and is very branching. It has pinkish aromatic wood and no thorns. The leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, and 2-5 cm long. They are narrowly oval and sometimes more or less heart-shaped, with a finely serrated margin, and appear to be folded along the central vein. They are shiny and green on the upper side and paler on the underside. The leaf stalk has a pair of yellowish or reddish glands in the zone closest the blade. The white flowers develop in numerous, very aromatic groups. The fruits are small cherries, less than 1 cm in diameter, that are not eaten due to their bitter flavour. The single stone inside differentiates this species from the buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.), a plant with which it can be confused when it is not in flower.