Latin Name: Prunus pensylvanica
Other Names: Bird Cherry, Fire Cherry, Red Cherry
Characteristics
- Deciduous shrub or small tree (up to 12m tall)
- Leaves: alternate, simple, with fine tooth edges
- Flowers: white, small, round or slightly oblong, 5-petals
- Fruits: tiny round, green unripe, red ripe, with central pit
Edible Uses
- Fruit only (not with pit), raw or cooked into jams
Medicinal Uses
- Inner bark made into tea for coughs and internal ailments
- Crushed root used for treatment of stomach ailments
Other Uses
- n/a
Cautionary Uses
- Most parts of this plant, specifically fruit pits and leaves contain a form of cyanide (hydrocyanic acid) and are considered poisonous
References & Resources
- Book: Forest Plants of Central Ontario, 1996.