Prunus serotina is a medium-sized, fast-growing forest tree growing to a height of . The leaves are long, ovate-lanceolate in shape, with finely toothed margins. Fall leaf color is yellow to red. Flowers are small, white and 5-petalled, in racemes long which contain several dozen flowers. The flowers give rise to reddish-black "berries" (
drupes) fed on by birds, For about its first decade the
bark of a black cherry tree is thin, smooth, and banded, resembling a
birch. A mature tree has very broken, dark gray to black bark. The leaves are long and shiny, resembling a
sourwood's. An almond-like odour is released when a young twig is scratched and held close to the nose, revealing minute amounts of
cyanide compounds produced and stored by the plant as a defense mechanism against
herbivores.
Biochemistry Like
apricots and apples, the seeds of black cherries contain
cyanogenic glycosides (compounds that can be converted into
cyanide), such as
amygdalin. These compounds release
hydrogen cyanide when the seed is ground or minced, which releases enzymes that break down the compounds. These enzymes include
amygdalin beta-glucosidase,
prunasin beta-glucosidase and
mandelonitrile lyase. In contrast, although the flesh of black cherries also contains these glycosides, it does not contain the enzymes needed to convert them to cyanide, so the flesh is safe to eat. The foliage, particularly when wilted, also contains cyanogenic glycosides, which convert to hydrogen cyanide if eaten by animals. Farmers are recommended to remove any trees that fall in a field containing livestock, because the wilted leaves could poison the animals. Removal is not always practical, though, because these trees often grow in very large numbers on farms, taking advantage of the light brought about by mowing and grazing. Entire
fencerows can be lined with this poisonous tree, making it difficult to monitor all the branches falling into the grazing area. Black cherry is a leading cause of livestock illness, and grazing animals' access to it should be limited.
Similar species Black cherry is closely related to the chokecherry (
Prunus virginiana), which tends to be shorter (a shrub or small tree) and has smaller, less glossy leaves. ==Subdivisions==