Click on the images help you identify a black cherry.
Form
Height 30 to 60 feet with a trunk diameter up to 24 inches. In forest conditions, black cherry has a long single trunk with little tapering. In the open, trunk is short with many branches and an irregular spreading crown.
Bark
Bark on young trunks is smooth and bright, reddish brown, marked by conspicuous narrow, white horizontal lines (lenticels). Branches and bark taste like bitter almond. Older trunks are covered with thick, irregular plates of thin, dark brown, rough bark. Sometimes called “potato-chip” bark.
Leaf
Simple, alternate on stem. Thick leaves are 2" to 6" long, oval or pointedly lance-shaped with finely toothed margins, shiny above, and paler below. Color turns yellow to yellowish red in autumn.
Fruit (seed)
After pollination, clusters of showy, fragrant, white flowers develop into dark red to black pea-sized cherries arranged in drooping bunches. Three edible but somewhat tart cherries ripen in late summer and have some medicinal value.
Range
Southern and central Minnesota. Shade tolerant when young, shade intolerant when mature. Moderately fast growing. Fairly drought tolerant but thin bark makes it susceptible to fire.
Wood uses
Wood is reddish-brown with yellowish sapwood, medium-heavy, strong, and fine-grained. It does not warp or split in seasoning and has exceptional luster and color. Wood is used for furniture, interior furnishing, tools, and tool handles.