Black Cherry
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Average mature size of 50-60 tall and 35-50' wide, occasionally reaching 100' tall. Fast growth rate, 1.5-2.5' per year. Medium lifespan, mature at 125-175 years.

Native Range

Kentucky Native — Ontario to North Dakota, Texas and Florida. Introduced 1629.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are white, fragrant, 0.33" across, in May, borne in pendulous, 4-6" long, 0.75" diameter racemes. Fruits are red, changing to black, 0.33" across, ripening in August and September, have a bitter-sweet and wine-like flavor, and are often used for making wine and jelly.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: The leaves are often a good yellow to red in fall. Bark is gray-black and scaly on larger trunks.

Culture and Care

Best in deep, moist, fertile soils but is also found growing on rather dry, gravelly, or sandy soils in the uplands. Zones 3-9.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA