#BlackCherry – Prunus serotina: Benefits, Risks, and How to Grow

"Wildlife Value

Prunus species support hundreds of butterfly and moth species. Black Cherry offers nectar for pollinators, fruit for #birds and mammals, and cover for #wildlife.

Birds: Robins, cedar waxwings, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, quail, thrushes, and many other birds feed on the fruit and spread seed.

Mammals: Red foxes, black bears, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, rabbits, white-tailed deer, and small mammals utilize the fruit and habitat.

#Pollinators: The nectar-rich flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

#Butterflies and #Moths: Larval host plant for species including Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina), Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus), Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), and Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)."

Learn more:
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/prunus-serotina

#SolarPunkSunday #BlackCherries #NativeTrees #GardeningForWildlife #GardeningForPollinators

#BlackCherry

"Common Name: Black Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Rum Cherry
Scientific Name: Prunus serotina
Family: Rosaceae

Etymology: Prunus comes from the Latin for Plum or Cherry tree, while serotina refers to late bloomer.

Indigenous Uses

#Indigenous communities consumed the black cherry as is, dried and crushed them for use in soup, utilized it as a base for fermented spirits and created cough syrup from the bark.

#Medicinal Uses

Black cherry bark can be turned into a type of natural cough syrup. Cherries also have many vitamins in them.

Edible Parts

The fruits of the black cherry are edible and can be prepared in several ways. The cherries can be eaten raw [NOT RECOMMENDED], turned into jam or syrup, utilized in cooking and baking, and blended into a drink. Other parts of the tree such as the leaves, bark and roots should be avoided as they contain toxic compounds.

Gathering and Using

Black cherries can be gathered in the fall. Wood for various usages such as tools, handles, furniture and paneling can be gathered at any point although spring and fall are the best.

Permaculture Functions and Considerations

Black cherries attract several #pollinators, especially native insects and insects that biologically control garden pests. Black cherries are also a wonderful source of food and lumber.

How to Identify

The black cherry can vary in height from 25 feet to over 100. Leaves are a shiny dark green with fine serrations and an oblong shape. They are 2-5 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. When the leaves are crushed, they give off a cherry-like scent. White blooms emerge from March-June depending on conditions and location. Dark red fruit starts in the summer and changes black in August-October.

Wildlife Support

Birds feast on fruits and these fruits are considered very beneficial to migratory birds in the fall. The cherries are also eaten by several small mammals and the tree is a host plant for over a dozen butterflies and moths.

Additional Information

Black cherry wood is utilized in scientific and professional instruments, as well as cooking."

Source:
https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/ces/plants/rosaceae/prunus-serotina.php

#SolarPunkSunday #BlackCherries #NativeTrees #GardeningForWildlife #GardeningForPollinators

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