Black cherry (Prunus serotina)

Form

Height 30' to 60', diameter up to 24"; in the forest has a long clear trunk with little tapering; in the open, trunk is short with many branches and an irregular spreading crown.

Bark

On young trunk smooth and bright, reddish-brown, marked by conspicuous narrow, white horizontal lines, has bitter almond taste; on older trunks, thin, dark brown, rough, and broken into thick irregular plates.

Leaf

Simple, alternate on stem, length 2" to 6", oval or pointedly lance-shaped with finely toothed margins; thick, shiny above, paler below; yellow to yellowish-red in autumn.

Fruit (seed)

Drooping clusters of pea-sized cherries, dark red to nearly black; edible but somewhat tart; ripens in late summer; has some medicinal value.

Range

Southern and central Minnesota; shade-tolerant when young, shade-intolerant when mature; moderately fast-growing.