# hagberry

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Prunus padus, a species of cherry native to northern Europe and northern Asia, the bird cherry.
2. Its bittersweet astringent fruit, readily eaten by birds.

## Etymology
From hag + berry.
According to Some Folklore of Trees, Animals, and River-fishing from the N.E. of Scotland, "The wood of the 'hackberry' or bird-cherry (Prunus padus) is not used as a staff or for any other purpose, as it is looked on as the witch's tree."

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hagberry