
The hard, reddish-brown wood takes a fine polish and is commercially valued for use in a large number of products such as furniture, veneers, cabinets, interior paneling, gun stocks, instrument/tool handles, and musical instruments.

Potential insects include aphids, scale, borers, leafhoppers, caterpillars, tent caterpillars and Japanese beetles. Potential diseases include leaf spot, die back, leaf curl, powdery mildew, root rot, and fireblight. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: As with most cherries, the black cherry tree it is susceptible to a large number of insect and disease pests. Prunus serotina can be pruned and kept at shrub size by cutting them to the ground every 2-3 years.įire Risk: This plant has a low flammability rating. Bark, roots, and leaves contain concentrations of toxic cyanogenic compounds, hence the noticeable bitter almond aroma of the inner bark.

The bark of mature trees develops a dark scaly or flaky pattern. The tree produces a round, dark purple fruit that matures in late summer. In the spring, small, white flowers mature. As the tree ages, it exhibits a scaly or flaky pattern. The bark of the tree is marked by horizontal lenticels. The tree has alternate leaves with a finely toothed margin, inconspicuous glands on the stem, and yellow-brown pubescence on the underside of the leaf. See below Descriptionīlack Cherry is a deciduous tree that may grow 60 to 80 feet tall and is found in all parts of NC but grows best in the mountains. Phonetic Spelling PROO-nus seh-roh-TEE-nuh This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
