Black Cherry

Description:

The black cherry is a species in the subgenus Padus and is a deciduous tree growing to 15–30 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 70–120 cm, occasionally more, with flowers in racemes. The leaves are simple, 6–14 cm long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are small (10–15 mm diameter), with five white petals and about 20 stamens, and are fragrant; there are around 40 flowers on each raceme. The fruit is a drupe, 1 cm diameter, green to red at first, ripening black; it is usually astringent and bitter when eaten fresh, but also somewhat sweet. The fruit is readily eaten by birds.

Habitat:

The black cherry is a pioneer species. In the Midwest, it is seen growing mostly in old fields with other sunlight-loving species, such as black walnut, black locust, and hackberry. It is a moderately long-lived tree, with ages of up to 258 years known, though it is prone to storm damage with branches breaking easily; any decay resulting, however, only progresses slowly. It is well known to proliferate in the Allegheny National Forest region of northwest Pennsylvania.

Notes:

Found 2 dozen incredible edible cherries when vacationing there.