Prunus serotina

COMMON NAME: Black Cherry

FAMILY: Rosaceae

GROWTH HABIT: Oval-headed tree with pendulous branches, commonly growing 50 - 60 ft tall but occasionally reaching 100 ft.

FOLIAGE: Simple, alternate, 2 - 5 in long, 1 - 1 3/4 in wide, acuminate, serrulate with small incurved teeth, lustrous medium to dark green above, light green beneath, petioles 1/4 - 1 in long.

BUDS: Less than 3/16 in, hairless, bud scales pointed.

BARK: Young trees have smooth, red-brown to nearly black, marked with long conspicuous line-like horizontal lenticels; later breaking up into scaly plates, eventually entirely scaly

FLOWERS: Perfect, white, 2/5 in across, May, borne in pendulous 4-6 in long racemes.

FRUIT: Fruits (drupes) red, changing to black, 2/5 in across, ripening in August and September.

NATURAL HISTORY: Grows best on deep, moist, fertile soils but is also found growing on rather dry, gravelly, or sandy soils.

NATIVE HABITAT: Ontario to North Dakota, Texas and Florida