Prunus serotina

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Black Cherry
Black Cherry flowers and leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Subfamily: Prunoideae Genus: Prunus Subgenus: Padus Species: P. serotina
Binomial name
Prunus serotina Ehrh.

Prunus serotina, commonly called Black Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Rum Cherry, or Mountain Black Cherry, is a woody plant species belonging to the genus Prunus. This cherry is native to eastern North America from southern Quebec and Ontario south to Texas and central Florida, with disjunct populations in Arizona and New Mexico, and in the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala.^[1][2]

Contents 1 Description 2 Subspecies 3 Ecology 4 Cultivation and uses 5 Caution 6 References

[edit] Description

The Black Cherry is a species in the subgenus Padus with flowers in racemes, and is a deciduous tree growing to 15-30 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 70-120 cm, occasionally more. The leaves are simple, 6-14 cm long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are small (10-15 mm diameter), with five white petals and about 20 stamens, and are fragrant; there are around 40 flowers on each raceme. The fruit is a drupe, 1 cm diameter, green to red at first, ripening black; it is usually astringent and bitter when eaten fresh, but also somewhat sweet. The fruit is readily eaten by birds, which do not find them unpleasant.^[1][3]

A mature Black Cherry can easily be identified in a forest by its very broken, dark grey to black bark, which has the appearance of very thick, burnt potato chips. However, for about the first decade or so of its life, the bark resembles that of a Birch, and is thin and striped. It can also quickly be identified by its long, shiny leaves resembling that of a Sourwood, and by an almond-like odor when a young twig is scratched and held close to the nose.

[edit] Subspecies

There are two subspecies:^[4]

• Prunus serotina subsp. serotina. Canada, United States.
• Prunus serotina subsp. capuli (Cav.) McVaugh. Mexico, Guatemala.

The typical subsp. serotina is sometimes further divided into four varieties, var. serotina in the east of the range, var. eximia in Texas, and vars. rufula and virens in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.^[2]

Black Cherry is closely related to the Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), however Chokecherry is classified as a shrub or small tree and has smaller and less glossy leaves.

[edit] Ecology

The Black Cherry is a pioneer species. In the Midwest, it is seen growing mostly in old fields with other sunlight loving species, such as Black Walnut, Black locust, and Hackberry. It is a moderately long-lived tree, with ages of up to 258 years known, though it is prone to storm damage with branches breaking easily; any decay resulting however only progresses slowly.^[1] It is well known to proliferate in the Allegheny National Forest region of northwest Pennsylvania.

The Black Cherry is also a host of caterpillars of various Lepidoptera (see List of Lepidoptera which feed on Prunus). The Eastern tent caterpillar defoliates entire groves some springs.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

The fruit is suitable for making jam, cherry pies and has some use in flavoring liqueurs; they are also a popular flavoring for sodas and used in many ice creams. The black cherry is commonly used instead of glacier cherries in order to achieve a less sweet taste. It is also used in cakes which involve dark chocolate such as a Black Forest gateau and as garnishes to drinks like cocktails.^{[citation needed]}

The timber is valuable, perhaps the premier cabinetry timber of the U.S., traded as "cherry". It is known for its strong red color and high price.

The wood is also used for cooking and smoking foods, where it imparts a unique flavor.

The foliage, particularly when wilted, contains cyanogenic glycosides which convert to hydrogen cyanide if eaten by animals.^[3] It is recommended that farmers remove any Black Cherry trees that fall in a field containing livestock, because the wilted leaves could poison the animals. Removal is not always practical though, because Black Cherries often grow in very large numbers on farms, taking advantage of the light brought about by mowing and grazing. Entire fencerows can be lined with this poisonous tree, making it difficult to monitor all the branches falling into the grazing area.

Black Cherry is locally naturalized in parts of Europe, having escaped from cultivation as an ornamental tree.^[5]

[edit] Caution

Take care when harvesting wild fruit, as the poisonous Common Buckthorn bears a strong resemblance to the Black Cherry. They have a different pattern of fruit growth, and the buckthorn leaf has curved veins rather than straight. In addition buckthorn has 2 or more seeds instead of the cherry's single pit.

Like apricots, the seeds of black cherries contain compounds that can be converted into cyanide, such as amygdalin.^[6][7] These compounds release hydrogen cyanide when the seed is ground or minced, which releases enzymes that break down the compounds. These enzymes include amygdalin beta-glucosidase, prunasin beta-glucosidase and mandelonitrile lyase.^[8] In contrast, although the flesh of cherries also contain these compounds, they do not contain the enzymes needed to produce cyanide, so the flesh is safe to eat.^[9] (One should spit out the cherry pit if eating this variety of cherry: it contains some of these compounds and swallowing them in larger quantities can lead to severe indigestion.)

[edit] References

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