Black Cherry is a common, weedy, early-successional tree. The leaves release the distinctive cherry-like aroma of cyanide when crushed. Healthy leaves contain prunasin, which is converted to hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when the leaves are crushed. This highly toxic substance acts as a defense mechanism against herbivores.

Black Cherry leaves are sometimes more elongate, approaching those of Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), which is found at relatively high elevations in the mountains.

Alleghany Co., NC 9/23/06.

Black Cherry produces masses of white flowers in spring. The specific epithet serotina means "late" - it flowers later that other native cherries.

Chatham Co., NC 4/19/2003.

Flower detail. Flowers open a bit later at higher elevations, such as here.

Franklin, Macon Co., NC 5/13/06.

Flowers about to open.

Orange Co., NC 4/4/09.

Flowers just beginning to develop.

Carroll Co., VA 4/10/2011.

The flowers are followed by copious amounts of small cherries in early summer, which are quickly eaten and spread by birds.

Scotland Co., NC 7/1/07.

Clarendon Co., SC 6/14/07.

The cherries are small, black when ripe, and relatively tasteless, neither sweet nor sour.

Durham Co., NC 7/4/03.

Alleghany Co., NC 9/23/06.

The bark is smooth when young, with horizontally elongated lenticels.

At this stage, the Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) has similar bark.

Alleghany Co., NC 9/23/06.

The bark breaks into upturned plates when older.

Though Black Cherry can become a fairly large tree in the Appalachian Mountains, in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain it is very susceptible to disease and tends to be small and short-lived.

Bark of a large tree.

Haywood Co., NC 5/10/08.