Prunus serotina (Black Cherry)

The Black Cherry is the largest Native American Cherry. Its beautiful fragrant flower show, attraction to songbirds and its fall color make it a highly desirable shade tree if you have the room.  When crushed, the leaves smell like Black Cherry soda pop. Before dropping in autumn, the leaves turn lovely shades of yellow, orange or red, but this varies with weather conditions and among seedlings.

The alternating simple leaves of the black cherry are 2-6 inches long, consistently broad to lance-shaped, pointy at the tip, and have fine teeth that curve inward towards the leaf tip. The leaf's upper side is dark green and glossy, while the lower surface is lighter. On the petiole near the leaf blade, there are 1-2 small glands. The buds are 1/8 to 1/4 inch long and have six dark red-brown scales; the terminal bud is generally bigger than the lateral buds. Branches are thin, smooth, and pale green when young, becoming brilliant crimson to dark reddish-brown as they age. Older trees have thin, scaly bark with upturned edges that ranges from light grey to nearly black in hue.