Thursdays Ecology

Wild Black Cherry

Prunus serotina

Prunus serotina, aka Wild Black Cherry, is a deciduous, low flammable fruit tree found in dry woodlands understory. The roots enjoy high organic matter soil, growing to heights of 60-80 ft tall and attracting butterflies, birds, and insects with its nectar and dark purple fruit. It is said to be able to withstand deer nibbles, but that shouldn't be an issue in the Houston area. The Black Cherry Tree enjoys full sun in the protected coves of its companion trees: Oaks, Pines, Maples, Sassafrasses, Elms, and the American Hornbeam.

The Black Cherry is shaped like a vase with dark brown bark that becomes papery or shiny as it ages. Indigenous peoples used the bark as medicine for colds or stomach issues, and also as a syrup or drink. The leaves are a dark green in spring changing to a golden yellow in fall. The pink-white flowers attract a variety of pollinators and is a host plant for several species of butterflies:

~Coral Hairstreak

~Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

~Spring Azure

~Viceroy

~Red Spotted Purple

The dark purple fruit is edible, however, the seeds and leaves contain hydrogen cyanide and thus use caution when harvesting. It be best to cook the fruits into jams or baked goods, rather than eating raw. *use caution and best judgement here* Naturally, songbirds, wild turkeys, quail, and small mammals enjoy the fruits, thus provide a wonderful wildlife food and habitat source.

Fruiting trees and bushes are considered "messy" by humans, since the fruit will drop onto the ground on some occasion. This is a natural part of life, and is part of the system of feeding the microbes in the soil. If fruit falls, add some mulch to cover it up and speed the decomposition faster. What a way to give back to Earth. Otherwise, this tree needs little pruning or shaping.

Considering the urban setting of Houston, or any city in this Ecoregion, a good location to set up several of these trees would be the large green spaces near the on/off ramps of freeways alongside the Drummond Red Maple that I covered a month ago. Placing these on higher, dryer mounds in protected coves of other pioneer species and in the bird and butterfly migration pathways will create excellent cover, habitat, and food sources.

sources: NPSOT, Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center, North Carolina Extension Gardener, Plants for a Future