ISSUE 32, NATIVE FRUITS, Part 5: Wild Black Cherry

Black Cherry

Of North America’s native cherries the black cherry (Prunus serotina), a tree with purple-black pea-sized fruit, and the choke cherry, a shrub with red fruit are most familiar.  The black cherry has an agreeable but acrid taste. Birds feast on it, mockingbirds defended trees as personal domains. Black cherry was a fixture in Native foodways …