BE A GEORGIA TREE KNOW-IT-ALL: Black Cherry

Get to know Georgia’s beautiful array of trees and how you can take care of your own! Each month, we feature some of the most popular trees in the state. We are showcasing the Black Cherry. Learn all about the Black Cherry tree below!

Characteristics

The Black Cherry tree produces little yellow-white cylindrical pendulums in May and dark purple to blackberries in August. Also known as the Prunus serotina, the Black Cherry tree grows to 70-80 feet and has a mature spread of 30 feet wide when in open, sunny and moist soil locations.

Landscape Uses

The tree is not recommended for planting in lawns because the berries tend to be messy. In addition, while the mature wood is very hard (often used in furniture-making), the new wood at the highest branches is soft and susceptible to storm damage.

Black Cherry Care

It’s best to prune the Black Cherry tree after the berries have fallen. Because the seeds germinate so easily, this tree can quickly invade lawns, borders, forests and even bushes. That’s right: It can grow from a seedling even in the underbrush! It prefers deep, moist, rich soil of varying pH levels but will tolerate poorer soils and drought once established.

Signs of Distress

Common Black Cherry tree characteristics include rot, spot and knot diseases. Trees can also get blight, canker and powdery mildew.

For pruning and trimming service — for your Black Cherry or any other tree — reach out to us online or give us a call at 404.252.6448.