BLACK CHERRY

Prunus serotina var. serotina Ehrh.
(PROO-nus sair-OTT-i-nuh)
syn. (P. virginiana) L.

General:

A slender, deciduous tree to about 30 m (60-90 ft.) tall, with slender branches that tend to droop, the Black Cherry has an oval head. Tapered leaves point downward, making it easy to distinguish along roadside fencerows. The glossy dark green leaves with finely toothed margins turn yellow briefly during late fall to winter.

The species name, serotina, comes from the Latin word for ‘late.’ It refers to the lateness of bloom and fruit of the Black Cherry.

It is a plant of many uses, providing food for wildlife, fruit for wine, desirable wood for furniture and it has traditionally been used as a medicinal plant. We are all familiar with cherry cough syrup. The root bark contains lignin, tannin, and gallic acid. It is used in the treatment of the digestive tract, the circulatory and nervous systems, and even as a bath for treating ulcers.

The leaves have caused poisoning of cattle. Both seeds and leaves are toxic.

Flowers/Fruit:

Fragrant, five petaled white flowers hang in narrow clusters about (6 in.) long.
Dark purple to black fruit with a single stone ripens in midsummer. It has a slightly sweet and astringent taste.

Leaves/Stems:

The shiny, dark green leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic in shape and are up to 15 cm. (6 in.) long. Each tip of the fine marginal serrations has a tiny red gland that can be seen with magnification. The grooved petioles allow the leaves to hang down, pointing toward the ground.

Bark is reddish brown and shiny with lenticles when young, maturing into furrows and scaly plates.

Distribution:

Easily seen along fencerows and under power lines, Black Cherry is found in Florida southward to Hillsborough and Brevard counties on a wide variety of soils. It is common from Florida to Texas, North Dakota and to southeast Canada.