mazzard cherry
Noun 1. A wild or seedling sweet cherry tree (Prunus avium) used as a rootstock for grafting cultivated cherry varieties. This term specifically refers to the hardy, naturally growing tree or a tree grown from seed, which provides a strong root system for other cherry trees.
The term "mazzard cherry" is a specialized horticultural term. It is used almost exclusively to refer to the rootstock plant in the context of gardening, arboriculture, or fruit cultivation. * The orchardist grafted the prized Bing cherry scion onto a sturdy mazzard cherry rootstock. * Mazzard cherry is valued for its vigor and adaptability to different soil conditions.
- The term can sometimes be used metonymically to refer to the wood of this tree or the small, often tart fruit it produces, though this is less common than its primary horticultural meaning.
- The furniture was made from mazzard cherry, known for its fine grain.
- Mazzard (noun): A common shortened form of "mazzard cherry," with the same meaning.
- He used a mazzard as the base for the new tree.
- Gean (noun): A British term synonymous with mazzard cherry, referring to the wild sweet cherry.
- Wild sweet cherry
- Gean
- Prunus avium (scientific name)
The word "mazzard" alone, though rare in modern English, can have an archaic meaning unrelated to botany: * Archaic: The head or face. * "I'll knock your mazzard for you!" (Shakespearean usage). This meaning is obsolete and not related to the cherry tree.
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wild or seedling sweet cherry used as stock for grafting
