Black Cherry

Black Cherry
Prunus serotina

Everywhere I read, it says that the bark of the Black Cherry tree resembles burnt corn flakes.  I've never cooked corn flakes, so I'm not sure what burnt ones look like, although I suspect that they look like cherry tree bark.  Some day I'll have to burn some to see if indeed they look like the bark.

Black Cherry is quite common in my neck of the woods, some describe it as weedy.  It's a native tree and is great for wildlife.  The wood makes good firewood and is also used in fine woodworking.

The leaves and twigs can be poisonous to browsers if enough are eaten.  The local zoo created a new exhibit years ago mimicking an African Savannah and they had to remove all of the cherry trees so that they would not poison the giraffes.


The younger bark has showy lenticels and peeling bark

The older trees have the scaly "burnt corn flakes" bark

A tree can flower profusely during a good year

The fruits are relished by wildlife and are quickly eaten