Tree Description:
A large tree to 80 feet tall and a trunk 1 to 3 feet in diameter. Forest-grown trees have long clear trunks with little taper and an oval crown; open-grown trees have short trunks with many branches and an irregular, spreading crown.
Range/Site Description:
Occurs in East Texas on a variety of sites, but commonly found in fertile woods or along fencerows, burned areas, or disturbed sites where it is a pioneer species.
Leaf:
Simple, alternate, 2" to 6" long and 1" to 1.5" wide, oval or elliptical in shape, with very fine teeth along the margin; glossy and dark green above, pale green beneath, with tufts of brown hairs along the midrib.
Flower:
Drooping, cylindrical clusters of small, white flowers appear with the new leaves in spring.
Fruit:
A purplish-black, berry-like drupe, up to 0.5" in diameter, borne in long, hanging clusters. The fruit ripens in late summer and is edible, though slightly bitter.
Bark:
On branches and young trunks the bark is smooth, bright reddish-brown, and marked by conspicuous, narrow, horizontal lines called "lenticels;" older trunks develop small, flat, scaly plates; twigs have a bitter almond taste.
Wood:
Red-brown heartwood with yellowish sapwood, moderately heavy, hard, strong, fine-grained, and does not warp or split in seasoning; used for fine furniture, cabinets, veneer, interior trim, and printers blocks.
Similar Species:
Escarpment black cherry (Prunus serotina var. eximia) occurs in the Hill Country and the Edwards Plateau and tolerates alkaline soils; southwestern black cherry (P. serotina var. rufula) and southwestern chokecherry (P. serotina var. virens) occur in West Texas.
Interesting Facts:
With the exception of walnut, black cherry lumber has a greater value per board-foot than any other hardwood in the eastern United States.
