Rosaceae
Black cherry
Prunus serotina
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Genus
- Prunus
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Common names
By language (40)
- Afrikaans
- Mexikaanse kersie, Swartkersie
- Arabic
- كرز أسود بري
- Basque
- Gereziondo beltz
- Belarusian
- Чаромха позняя
- Catalan
- Cirerer americà, Cerisier tardif, Cirera americana
- Cherokee
- ᎩᏔᏯ
- Chinese
- 晚花稠李, 樱桃木, 黑野樱, 宿萼稠李
- Croatian
- Kasna sremza
- csb
- Amerikańskô smarglëna
- Czech
- Střemcha pozdní
- Danish
- Glansbladet Hæg
- Dutch
- Amerikaanse vogelkers, Bospest
- English
- Black cherry, American bird cherry, Rum cherry, black cherry, Wild black cherry
- Esperanto
- Malfrua prunuso
- Estonian
- Hilistoomingas
- Finnish
- Kiiltotuomi
- French
- Cerisier tardif, Cerisier d'automne, Cerisier noir
- German
- Spätblühende Traubenkirsche, Herbsttraubenkirsche, Späte Trauben-Kirsche, Amerikanische Kirsche, Späte Traubenkirsche, Traubenkirsche
- hsb
- Pózdnja kitkata wišnja
- Hungarian
- Kései meggy
- Icelandic
- Gljáheggur
- Japanese
- アメリカクロミザクラ
- koi
- Америкаись льӧм
- lah
- کالی چیری
- Lithuanian
- Vėlyvoji ieva, Cerisier tardif
- nah
- Ēlōcapolcuahuitl
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Romhegg
- Persian
- گیلاس سیاه
- Polish
- Czeremcha amerykańska, Czeremcha późna
- Portuguese
- Cerejeira-negra, Cerejeira negra
- Russian
- Черёмуха поздняя, Американская вишня, Поздняя черемуха, Поздняя черёмуха, Черемуха поздняя
- Serbian
- Касна сремза
- Slovenian
- Pozna čremsa
- Spanish
- Capulí, Cerezo negro americano, Ciruelo virginiano, Guinda, Prunnus serotina
- Swedish
- Glanshägg, Cerisier tardif
- Tatar
- Соңгы шомырт
- Turkish
- Kara kiraz
- udm
- Америкаысь льӧмпу
- Ukrainian
- Черемха пізня
- Welsh
- Coeden geirios rym
Synonyms
- Cerasus serotina (Ehrh.) Loisel.
- Cerasus serotina (Ehrh.) Poit. & Turpin
- Padus serotina (Ehrh.) Borkh.
- Prunus serotina f. typica Schwer.
Flowers
- In flower
- April to May (from 2,416 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
- Flower colour
- white (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Shrub, Tree
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native
Toxicity: Severe, as listed by the USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29). USDA rates how toxic a plant is to people or livestock; it is not a pet-safety rating, so ask a vet or poison line if a pet or child ate it.
Photos

FlowerPhoto: Brighton Lee, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: M. Whitson, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Tom Scavo, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FruitPhoto: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
LeavesPhoto: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Alex setetny, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: wwattles, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Clémentine Fromageot, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Prunus
- Japanese flowering cherryPrunus serrulataRosaceae
- PeachPrunus persicaRosaceae
- AlmondPrunus amygdalusRosaceae
- ApricotPrunus armeniacaRosaceae
- European plumPrunus domesticaRosaceae
- BlackthornPrunus spinosaRosaceae
- Sour cherryPrunus cerasusRosaceae
- Bird cherryPrunus padusRosaceae
- Cherry plumPrunus cerasiferaRosaceae
- Cherry laurelPrunus laurocerasusRosaceae
- St lucie cherryPrunus mahalebRosaceae
- Japanese apricotPrunus mumeRosaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.