Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Fragrant white spring flowers, then August cherries that migrating birds take almost at once. Host tree for the eastern tiger swallowtail.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
No tree we carry feeds more migrating birds or hosts more butterflies. black cherry is the most ecologically productive investment you can put in the ground.
Black cherry is one of the most ecologically productive trees in eastern North America. Fragrant white flower clusters drape the branches in late spring, drawing native bees by the hundreds. Dark cherries ripen in August and are consumed almost immediately by waves of migrating birds, including cedar waxwings, catbirds, robins, and thrushes. The tree is also a primary host plant for eastern tiger swallowtail and several other lepidopteran species. At 40 to 60 feet mature, this is a significant tree that rewards patience. Planting it now means the wildlife surge arrives within five years and accelerates every year after. The bark develops a distinctive scaly plate pattern with age, adding architectural interest. Branches smell faintly of almonds when broken. Black cherry earns its place on any property large enough to give it room.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown black cherry propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 40–60 ft · 20–30 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for black cherry.
Full sun to part shade, adapts to a wide range of soils. Drought tolerant once established. No pruning needed except dead wood removal. Keep tent caterpillars in check in early summer. cut and remove webs before caterpillars spread. Self-seeds generously; weed seedlings from gardens annually.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside black cherry.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.