Species of Wild Cherries That Grow in Virginia

Black Cherry

• Black cherry (Prunus serotina) is a large tree that typically reaches a height of 50 to 80 feet. It flowers in the late spring, producing an abundance of sweet-smelling white blooms in showy clusters. The cherries that come after are red early in the summer, but they ripen in late summer to a dark purple-red that is nearly black. The fruit does not taste very good to humans straight from the tree, but it is commonly used as a flavoring and in jams and jellies. Black cherry is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9.

Chokecherry

• The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is much smaller than the black cherry, usually growing to between 20 and 30 feet in height. Its profuse white flowers are similar to those of the black cherry, however, and its fruit also ripens in late summer to a dark purple-black. Chokecherry gets its common name from the taste of its fruit, which is bitter and nearly inedible directly from the tree. The flavor improves when the fruit is dried or boiled, and like black cherry, chokecherry works well in jams and jellies. Chokecherry is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7.

Bird Cherry

• The bird cherry (Prunus avium) is usually close in size to the chokecherry, but in ideal conditions it can reach heights up to 60 feet. It produces fragrant white flowers like the other species, and its fruit ripens to red or black in the early summer. Bird cherries are not as sweet as those of commercially developed cultivars, but they have better flavor than the fruit of other wild cherry species; their appeal to wildlife gives the tree its common name. Bird cherry is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

Cultivation

• If you'd like to tame any of these wild cherry species and give them a home in your garden, you'll find that they are easy to grow in captivity. They like plenty of light and will thrive in full sun, although they can tolerate partial shade. They do well in organically rich, loamy soils; all of the species prefer well-drained soils with moderate moisture, but black cherry can handle moist soils. Chokecherry will produce sucker growth at its base; you should prune these suckers to strengthen the tree and keep it from spreading.