# Wild black cherry



## chris30523

I have tons of wild black cherry trees and they are loaded with fruit. Does anyone here do anything with the cherries. The cherries are small and in clusters .If I don't get to them quick the birds will have them. Suggestions??


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## millipede

I'm glad you asked this. I too have lots of wild black cherry trees. Most of the trees are quite tall and the cherries are out of reach. I'm tempted to do some climbing though. The fruit sure is tiny, but free food is free food if you ask me.


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## Dahc

I used to make wine from them but don't drink now. You can also make jellies. It takes a lot of them though.


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## chris30523

Okay in looking I have 3 different types of Cherry. Mine are so loaded with fruit that the branches are hanging low. The first is a smaller tree and the fruit is larger but not in the long clusters.















the second tree has tiny cherries in clusters and seems to be the favorite of the birds ,it is a larger tree and the leaves are a bit different
















The third is more like the second but has larger cherries and a smaller shinier leaf it is also a large tree:


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## tn_junk

The second one looks what my Grandmother had in her yard. It made some truly awsome jelly!

galump


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## PineRidge

Let me know how they turn out. I have many black cherry trees and the fruits are still green. I know last year the birds got them first, but this year I'm ready!


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## chris30523

galump said:


> The second one looks what my Grandmother had in her yard. It made some truly awsome jelly!
> 
> galump


don't suppose you have her recipe laying around.


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## chris30523

Well the jelly is in the jars. I'll let you know later how it is(If I survive) Smells great and is a nice dark red.


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## Clifford

Be careful of the leaves and the cherry pits/seeds. They contain cyanide and can be poisonous.

*WILD BLACK CHERRY * 
TOXICITY RATING: High. 
ANIMALS AFFECTED: All animals may be affected. Ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer) are more at risk than monogastric animals (dogs, cats, pigs, horses) and birds. 

DANGEROUS PARTS OF PLANT: Damaged leaves pose the greatest risk. All parts are potentially toxic. 

CLASS OF SIGNS: Anxiety, breathing problems, staggering, convulsions, collapse, death (which may be sudden). 

PLANT DESCRIPTION: This cherry may grow as a tree or shrub. Bark of young branches and twigs is scaly and reddish-brown with prominent cross-marks ("lenticels"). Leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic-pointed, leathery in texture, and finely toothed on the margins. Flowers are showy, fragrant, and white, hang in drooping clusters, and produce dark-red to black cherry fruits. The wild black cherry commonly grows in fence rows, roadside thickets, and rich open woods. 

SIGNS: Black cherry contains cyanogenic precursors that release cyanide whenever the leaves are damaged (frost, trampling, drought, wilting, blown down from the tree during storms). Most animals can consume small amounts of healthy leaves, bark and fruit safely; however when hungry animals consume large amounts of fresh leaves or small amounts of damaged leaves (as little as 2 ounces), clinical cases of poisoning will occur, and many animals may die. This is especially true if there is no other forage for the animals to consume, or in the case of pets, when confined and/or bored, the chances for toxic levels of ingestion can occur. The conditions of cyanide poisoning have also been discussed under Johnsongrass. 

Healthy cherry leaves contain prunasin, a cyanide precursor that in itself is non-toxic. When the leaves are damaged, the prunasin molecule is split and free cyanide (also called prussic acid or hydrocyanic acid) is liberated. Many plants, especially those in the rose family, have the potential to produce toxic levels of cyanide under certain conditions. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is also toxic. There are reports of peach sprouts, leaves, and pits poisoning sows. Apricot pits and apple seeds are toxic as well. Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima) contains a cyanogenic glycoside and has caused poisoning in livestock. Johnsongrass, discussed earlier, has a similar toxicity. 

Cyanide prevents the body from being able to utilize oxygen at the cellular level, so although the animals physically can breath, their tissues and cells "suffocate". After consumption, signs will manifest within a few minutes, but sometimes up to an hour may pass. The animals will try to breath more rapidly and deeply, and then become anxious and stressed. Later, trembling, incoordination, attempts to urinate and defecate and collapse is noted, which can proceed to a violent death from respiratory and/or cardiac arrest within a few minutes to an hour. If an affected animal is still alive 2 or 3 hours after consumption, chances are good that it will live.


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## chris30523

Clifford said:


> Be careful of the leaves and the cherry pits/seeds. They contain cyanide and can be poisonous.
> 
> *WILD BLACK CHERRY *
> TOXICITY RATING: High.
> ANIMALS AFFECTED: All animals may be affected. Ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer) are more at risk than monogastric animals (dogs, cats, pigs, horses) and birds.
> 
> DANGEROUS PARTS OF PLANT: Damaged leaves pose the greatest risk. All parts are potentially toxic.
> 
> CLASS OF SIGNS: Anxiety, breathing problems, staggering, convulsions, collapse, death (which may be sudden).
> 
> PLANT DESCRIPTION: This cherry may grow as a tree or shrub. Bark of young branches and twigs is scaly and reddish-brown with prominent cross-marks ("lenticels"). Leaves are alternate, simple, elliptic-pointed, leathery in texture, and finely toothed on the margins. Flowers are showy, fragrant, and white, hang in drooping clusters, and produce dark-red to black cherry fruits. The wild black cherry commonly grows in fence rows, roadside thickets, and rich open woods.
> 
> SIGNS: Black cherry contains cyanogenic precursors that release cyanide whenever the leaves are damaged (frost, trampling, drought, wilting, blown down from the tree during storms). Most animals can consume small amounts of healthy leaves, bark and fruit safely; however when hungry animals consume large amounts of fresh leaves or small amounts of damaged leaves (as little as 2 ounces), clinical cases of poisoning will occur, and many animals may die. This is especially true if there is no other forage for the animals to consume, or in the case of pets, when confined and/or bored, the chances for toxic levels of ingestion can occur. The conditions of cyanide poisoning have also been discussed under Johnsongrass.
> 
> Healthy cherry leaves contain prunasin, a cyanide precursor that in itself is non-toxic. When the leaves are damaged, the prunasin molecule is split and free cyanide (also called prussic acid or hydrocyanic acid) is liberated. Many plants, especially those in the rose family, have the potential to produce toxic levels of cyanide under certain conditions. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is also toxic. There are reports of peach sprouts, leaves, and pits poisoning sows. Apricot pits and apple seeds are toxic as well. Arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima) contains a cyanogenic glycoside and has caused poisoning in livestock. Johnsongrass, discussed earlier, has a similar toxicity.
> 
> Cyanide prevents the body from being able to utilize oxygen at the cellular level, so although the animals physically can breath, their tissues and cells "suffocate". After consumption, signs will manifest within a few minutes, but sometimes up to an hour may pass. The animals will try to breath more rapidly and deeply, and then become anxious and stressed. Later, trembling, incoordination, attempts to urinate and defecate and collapse is noted, which can proceed to a violent death from respiratory and/or cardiac arrest within a few minutes to an hour. If an affected animal is still alive 2 or 3 hours after consumption, chances are good that it will live.


Thanks Clifford.
Choke Cherry's were used alot years ago.You don't use the leaves and the pits don't go in the jelly.I think people quit using cause it is so hard and time consuming to collect enough cherries to make anything. If I cut all of my cherry trees here to protect my live stock I would'nt have any shade and the privet hedge would take over. I watch for broken limbs and fallen trees and so far have not had a problem. The animals don't seem to be attracted to a healthy tree.


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## CSA again

Clifford ; a good post

My goat pasture is full of these large wild cherry trees. My goats eat the leaves and cherrys up as high as that can reach. When I trim off limbs I also give these to the goats.

The problem is with a damaged limb or tree. If the leaves wilt befor the goat eats them it may kill the animal. 

Several years back a late spring snow broke out many limbs and downed many trees in my area. The leaves wilted and when the snow melted 47 head of livestock in our county, cows, horses, goats died from eating these wilted leaves.

I always check the pasture after storms.

Oddly enough though in the Fall when the leaves turn and fall off, the goats are like vacume cleaners eating these leaves with no ill effect.

eddie


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## batesnoble

Wild black cherry and choke cherry jelly is just the very best!

Takes a lot of cherries to make a batch ... but it is really worth it!


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## chris30523

Have not opened mine to try yet.The blackberry jelly is good though.


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## PineRidge

Chris you gotta let us know how it turns out  Mine are still green, I am trying to be patient but it's hard. I'm going blackberry picking myself tomorrow.


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## foxfiredidit

The Cyanide in the leaves of Cherry trees, and azaleas, etc., is not usually at a level high enough to be toxic to animals. The exception is that right after a frost, or an early snow the level of cyanide increases dramatically, then recedes when the temperature warms up unless the frost or snow was cold enough to kill the leaves off. So a goat browsing on a midsummer fallen limb's leaves will have no problem while one who dines during a freeze or right after will tend to have some problems even a catastrophic one depending on the amount he intakes. Don't make tea of cherry leaves right after a first frost unless the Englishman in your home is unwelcome!!


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## DianeWV

About those wild black cherries, I made jelly last week with them for the first time. Blackberry picking here has been very skimpy this year, no jelly. So I thought I would try some wild black cherries. I have a couple of trees that I could drive my truck up to and stand in the bed of the truck and pull down the limbs, Plus had ladder in bed of truck. I simmered those berries with a little water and then mashed the guts out of em with a potato masher. I then put this through a food mill to remove the pits. Took juice/sugar/fruit pectin made jelly. The jelly is good stuff. The wild fruits make the best jelly. Take Care.


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## chris30523

we had a boat load of blackberries too. The cherry jelly turned out great. I was going to do elderberries also but the birds beat me to them. :shrug:


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## Phantomfyre

Any uses other than jelly? DH and I just don't use very much jelly here. Could I make cherry juice out of them, or a puree to use in baking?

What about elderberries and wild grapes? Lots of people just talk about jelly for them, too...

I'd love to use some of them - I was out walking the property this morning, and we've got boatloads of them!


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## chris30523

wine or juice.We make a muscadine juice that is great with gingerale.Syrup can be made or I have seen a recipie for cordial somewhere.


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## Milkwitch

I have always heard them called 'choke cherries'. The first time I tried making Choke cherry jelly I went out and picked a 5 gal pail of cherries, I squished them as much as I could and strained off the juice... I was shocked at how little there was! But went ahead with the jelly... sugared and heated the juice then 'cirto' and bottled it. It never set! 
I asked my aunt about how she did it and she laughed so hard she nearly piddled herself when I told her what I did. 
She said I was suppose to add water and stew them... makes a lot more jelly :shrug: 
But I had so much invested in what i had I used it anyhow and IT turned out to be the best syrup I have ever eaten! I love it! I now make it every year! 
I find the usual jelly recipe not very tasty. The syrup has a great cherry flavor! 
good on ice cream too!
There are too many here to pass up free food! 
Oh a note thou is they are better after the first frost. The problem is that by that time the birds haven;t left much! 

We also love 'high bush Cranberry"


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## DianeWV

About wild black cherry vs. choke cherries. The wild black cherry around here is a tree, that is highly valued for its lumber. It's get large and tall. It's a big tree. The cherries are deep deep purple to black in color. The chokecherry, that I'm not real familiar with, appears to be a more of a shrub or small tree that has red berries on it. The tough part about getting wild black cherries is reaching them. That's why I got up into the back of my truck bed and then used a ladder in the truck bed to pull down on the limbs. The next time I go out to pick, which will be in the next couple of days, I am going to lay a tarp or old sheets down and shake those limbs and catch em!

Now when I made jelly from the wild black cherries, I added just enough water to keep the cherries from sticking to the pan and to bring them to a boil. I brought them to a good boil and then simmered them for quite a while so they would burst easy when I mashed them up with a potato masher. Just like you do with elderberries, but the cherries are just a little more tough to bust up, plus the seed is much larger, that's why I had to simmer them longer. I then followed the recipe that's on the fruit pectin box for wild fruits. The jelly looks dark, dark purple or black just like blackberry or elderberry. It's really good jelly.

Other than jelly, syrups, or wine I don't have a clue. I haven't tried making pies with them. I may just have to give that a whirl. Take care. 

BTW-it so hot here, I could use some wild cherry wine about now!


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## PineRidge

> The next time I go out to pick, which will be in the next couple of days, I am going to lay a tarp or old sheets down and shake those limbs and catch em!


I wish I could do this, but where the trees are it slopes down hill so the cherries would roll away  

I did pick some, well, I thought I picked quite a few... and went throught the whole routine for collecting the juice.... I ended up with less than two cups! lol, I guess i will be picking again for the next few days, I just poured the juice into a jar and froze it for when I get more ready. If my next efforts don't work, then I'm going to combine the cherry juice with apple juice and call it good.

Thanks for the updates, otherwise I would think I was wasting my time.


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## katlupe

Don't forget about the wild cherry bark. My trees don't get much fruit. But the inner bark is valuable for your medicine chest. Here is a link for your information:Wild Cherry.

I just can the elderberries and fox (or wild) grapes as juice. I would do the same with the cherry juice. It is very valuable as health supplement. 

katlupe


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