Prunus serotina

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**Prunus serotina**, known by the common names black cherry, wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub from the New World that belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae). Despite what its common names suggest, it is only distantly related to the cherries typically grown for fruit.

This species is a fast-growing, medium-sized tree that typically reaches 15–24 meters (49–79 feet) in height. Its leaves are 5–13 cm (2–5 inches) long, ovate-lanceolate in shape, with finely toothed edges, and turn yellow to red in autumn. The small, white, five-petaled flowers grow in racemes 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) long, each containing several dozen blossoms. These flowers produce reddish-black drupes (often called berries) that are 5–10 mm (1/4–3/8 inch) in diameter and are eaten by birds. For the first decade or so, the bark is thin, smooth, and banded, resembling birch bark; mature trees develop very broken, dark gray to black bark. The long, shiny leaves resemble those of sourwood. If you scratch a young twig and hold it to your nose, it releases an almond-like odor, a sign of the cyanide compounds the plant produces and stores to defend against herbivores.

Like apricots and apples, black cherry seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides—such as amygdalin—that can be converted into cyanide. When the seed is ground or minced, enzymes (including amygdalin beta-glucosidase, prunasin beta-glucosidase, and mandelonitrile lyase) break down these compounds, releasing hydrogen cyanide. The flesh of the fruit also contains these glycosides but lacks the enzymes needed to convert them, making it safe to eat. The foliage, especially when wilted, also contains these glycosides; if eaten by livestock, they can convert to hydrogen cyanide. Farmers are advised to remove any fallen trees from fields with livestock, as wilted leaves can poison animals. However, removal is often impractical because these trees can grow in large numbers on farms, taking advantage of light from mowing and grazing, and entire fencerows may be lined with them. Black cherry is a leading cause of livestock illness, and grazing animals' access to it should be limited.

Black cherry is closely related to chokecherry (*Prunus virginiana*), which is usually shorter (a shrub or small tree) and has smaller, less glossy leaves.