Black cherry
Prunus serotina 路 Rosaceae 路 also Wild black cherry, Rum cherry
A fast, narrow-crowned tree with shiny young bark marked by horizontal lenticels that matures into dark, scaly plates like burnt cornflakes. Drooping clusters of fragrant white flowers in spring are followed by small purple-black cherries that birds strip in late summer; leaves turn yellow to orange. It seeds itself along fences and edges, its branches break in ice, and its wilted leaves are poisonous to livestock, so it suits woodland edges and naturalized areas rather than sidewalks.
Where it stands
Care
Transplants well into full sun and well-drained soil; keep out of wet sites. Prune to remove storm-damaged limbs in late winter. It is prone to black knot, eastern tent caterpillar, fall webworm, aphids and borers; remove black-knot galls promptly.
Benefits
Good for