Prunus serotina
black cherry
Rosaceae
Plant Specifics
Form:
tree
Size:
To 70 ft
Life Span:
long-lived perennial
Flower Color:
white
Fruit Color:
black
Phenology:
Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Fruit ripens summer-fall. Life span about 50 yrs (Nelson 2003).
Noted For:
Showy Flowers, Fall Color
Landscaping
Recommended Uses:
Shade tree. Useful for informal reforestation of old grove land.
Considerations:
Leaves and twigs are highly poisonous to livestock, pets and humans.
Light:
Full Sun, Part Sun
Moisture Tolerance:
Somewhat moist, no flooding ---- to ---- Very long very dry periods
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:
Unknown
Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:
Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.
Soil or Other Substrate:
Sand, Clay, Loam
Suitable to Grow In:
8A,8B,9A,9B
Ecology
Wildlife:
Pollinators, Caterpillars, Birds
Bees are pollinators.
Larval host for tiger swallowtail.
Birds and other animals eat the fruits. Birds are the primary disperser into old fields and hedge rows.
Native Habitats:
Dry sites. Upland mixed forest, upland hardwood forest, secondary woods, old fields, sandhill, ruderal areas.
