Is this wild black cherry?

[Dajolu]

I think I have identified this tree in my yard as a wild black cherry. I’m interested in harvesting the fruit and maybe making a Jam or Pie. I would like to get some opinions before I try eating the fruit though.

 

[bigealta]

I'd say yes. I have a few in my yard. Don't know about eating the fruit?

 

[stoveliker]

Yes. ANd I've never eaten the fruit.
The birds get there before I could. I'm not sure how sweet they are tho.

 

[Dajolu]

Yes. ANd I've never eaten the fruit.
The birds get there before I could. I'm not sure how sweet they are tho.

Yea the birds and the racoons seems to love the fruit.

 

[River]

I will vote choke cherry, though I am not very familiar with that variety. Anyway, the bark does not look like black cherry, to me.

 

[bigealta]

Don't think it's choke cherry. I have those in Utah. They grow pretty knarly scaly bark even with the small trees which have usually twisted trunks and they don't get very big at my elevation (5,250Ft). They also seem to grow in clumps of smaller diameter trees.

 

[patrickk222]

YES or a chokecherry .... youll tell which is whic when and if it gets older

 

[Dajolu]

Ok I came across this :

Foraging Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Wild Black cherry (Prunus serotina) are absolutely delicious, and one of the best wild fruits available anywhere. They taste more or less exactly like cultivated sweet cherries (though they're smaller), and can be harvested over

practicalselfreliance.com

I think I’m pretty confident I have a black cherry after reading that. He goes into the difference between black cherry and choke cherry,

 

[MongoMongoson]

I eat some black cherries every year. My wife thinks they are awful. I think they are fine. Not very sweet, somewhat astringent. I think if they are cooked some of the astringency might go away. I just eat them off the tree, so I have never made jam or anything.

 

[bigealta]

Now i'm gonna go out and try some black cherries.