Black Cherry
Prunus serotina

Family: Rosaceae

OTHER NAMES
chokecherry, rum cherry, mountain black cherry
Spanish: capulín

CHARACTERISTICS
Small deciduous trees usually reaching about 15-25’ tall in our region. Flowers March-July, followed by red to purple, or even black fruits. Yellow to orange or even red fall color.

LANDSCAPE USE
Small landscape tree.

GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED

SUN afternoon shade in the low desert, full to part sun in upper elevations
WATER moderate to riparian
SOIL prefers sandy or rocky soil, amendments encouraged
HARDINESS hardy to -35°F
BASIN low zone
CONTAINER does ok in container but will not attain full size
NUTRITION moderate
MAINTENANCE very little

Photo by David Thornburg, SEINET
Prunus serotina on iNaturalist

ECOLOGY
Fruit enjoyed by various mammals, birds. Nesting site for many birds. Larval host to numerous insects including the Two-Tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata), Southwestern Azure (Celastrina echo ssp. cinerea), Southwest Viceroy (Limenitis archippus ssp. obsoleta), the Small-eyed sphinx (Paonias myops), the Wild cherry sphinx (Sphinx drupiferarum), and other moths and butterflies. This tree has an important relationship with native bees of all sorts, not only for nectar but by attracting insects that predate on their pests. Insectivorous birds also love this tree.

ETHNOBOTANY
Fruits are edible if made into preserves. Infusion of bark taken for colds, fevers, diarrhea, smallpox, consumption, to aid in childbirth and to ease labor pains, laryngitis, a wash for sores and ulcers, and as a disinfectant. One report stated an infusion of bark taken with honey.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Ranges from Arizona to Texas and south into northern Mexico along streams and in moist canyons from 4,500-7,500’.

TAXONOMY AND NAME
This plant is in the Rosaceae, the rose family. There are 254 species of Prunus.
Prunus is Latin for “plum tree”, while serotina means “late flowering”.