Black cherry (Prunus serotina) — Plotwright

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Black cherry

Habit (mature) · AnRo0002 / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)

Limited coverage

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

The largest native cherry of eastern North America — a medium-to-large deciduous shade tree that hangs elongated racemes of small white flowers in spring, then ripens drooping strings of pea-sized fruit from red to near-black in late summer. The fragrant white bloom feeds bees while the fruit is eaten by 33 species of birds and many mammals; it is also a workhorse larval host, supporting the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and a string of giant silk and sphinx moths. Every part except the ripe fruit is cyanide-bearing and toxic.

Native: 39 US states + 4 CA provinces

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: broad (96/100)

Structure

Focal point

Pollinator

Light

Full sun / Part sun / Part shade

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

600-960" tall · 360" apart

Hardy in zones

3a-9b

brutally cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Extreme

cool to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

Yes

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A documented larval host for the Cecropia moth and 6 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.

Wildlife relationships

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Atlantic coastal pine barrens

Blue Mountains forests

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Chilean Matorral

Pollination

Self-fertile

Fragrant white spring racemes are an insect-pollinated nectar source. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags black cherry as a nectar source with Special Value to Native Bees, Bumble Bees, and Honey Bees. Black cherry is largely self-fertile, so a single tree will set fruit.

Plants don't grow alone

Larval host

Moth

Hummingbird clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe)

BAMONA lists cherries and plums (Prunus) as Hemaris thysbe larval hosts; black cherry is Prunus serotina.

Larval host

Butterfly

Red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)

Larval host

Butterfly

Spring azure (Celastrina ladon)

Larval host

Moth

Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

Larval host

Moth

Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)

Larval host

Butterfly

Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists black cherry as a larval host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; Prunus serotina is one of this swallowtail's key native host trees across the East.

Larval host

Moth

Hawkmoths (Sphingidae (family-level entry))

Documented larval host for sphinx (hawk) moths — the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center names the Small-eyed Sphinx and Wild Cherry Sphinx among black cherry's larval-host moths, alongside the Columbia Silkmoth and Promethea Moth.

Pollinates

Bee

Mason bees (Osmia spp.)

Nectar forage

Bee

Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags black cherry as having Special Value to Bumble Bees; the spring racemes are a nectar source for bumble bees such as the common eastern bumble bee.

Nectar forage

Bee

European honeybee (Apis mellifera)

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags black cherry as having Special Value to Honey Bees; the fragrant white spring bloom is a recognized nectar source.

Pollen forage

Bee

Mining bees (Andrena spp.)

Fruit forage

Bird

Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Fruit forage

Bird

Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)

Fruit forage

Bird

American robin (Turdus migratorius)

Fruit forage

Bird

Eastern songbirds (multi-species) (multiple species (Passeriformes))

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center documents the fruit as consumed by 33 species of birds and many mammals — one of the highest fruit-value native trees of the eastern forest.

Fruit forage

Bird

Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

A representative of the fruit-eating songbirds that strip the late-summer drupes; cedar waxwings are classic consumers of cherry-type drupes within the 33-bird-species fruit value the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center documents.

Foliage forage

Mammal

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Shelter / habitat

Bird

Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

Shelter / habitat

Bird

Downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)

Shelter / habitat

Beetle

Lady beetles (Coccinellidae)

For people

Toxic — do not consume

Per the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: all parts of Prunus species except the fruits contain poisonous substances and should never be eaten. The bark, leaves, and seeds are especially toxic (cyanogenic glycoside / amygdalin, releasing prussic acid) and are highly toxic to humans and herbivorous mammals, potentially fatal if ingested. The ripe pulp is used historically for jelly and wine, but the seed within must not be eaten.

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Black cherry (Prunus serotina). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/black-cherry

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Botanical research database

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

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Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

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Lifecycle

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Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC0 1.0 public domain dedication

Backs 1 field

Image

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database

Botanical research database

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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