The Black Cherry (Prunus serotina, also occasionally Wild Black Cherry, Rum Cherry, or Mountain Black Cherry) is a species of cherry, native to eastern North America from southern Quebec and Ontario south to Texas and central Florida, with disjunct populations in Arizona and New Mexico, and in the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala. Marquis, D. A. (undated). U.S. Forest Service Silvics Manual: Prunus serotina Ehrh. - Black Cherry USDA Plants Profile: NCRS: Prunus serotina
It is a species in the subgenus Padus with flowers in racemes, and is a deciduous tree growing to 15-30 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 70-120 cm, occasionally more. The leaves are simple, 6-14 cm long, with a serrated margin. The flowers are small (10-15 mm diameter), with five white petals and about 20 stamens, and are fragrant; there are around 40 flowers on each raceme. The fruit is a drupe, 1 cm diameter, green to red at first, ripening black; it is usually astringent and bitter to eat fresh, but sometimes sweet. The fruit is readily eaten by birds, which do not taste astringency as unpleasant. Missouriplants: Prunus serotina
Mature Black Cherry can easily be identified in a forest by its very broken, dark grey to black bark, which has the appearance of very thick, burnt potato chips. However, for about the first decade or so of its life, the bark resembles that of a Birch, and is thin and striped. It can also quickly be identified by its long, shiny leaves resembling that of a Sourwood, and by an almond-like odor when a young twig is scratched and held close to the nose.
There are two subspecies: Germplasm Resources Information Network: Prunus serotina
Black Cherry is closely related to the Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), from which it differs in the larger leaves and the cherries, which are black when ripe (hence the name), not red, though some populations of Chokecherry also have black cherries.
The Black Cherry is the twentieth episode of season one of the television comedy series Robot Chicken, the season finale.
