Welcome Summer Solstice 2024 - a photo on Flickriver

Welcome Summer Solstice 2024

            Three of these magnificent trees grow on either side of the stone bridge at the entry to the park, above the harbour.  The fragrance is lovely! Thanks to "Bits on Twigs" I was motivated to learn about these trees!

Prunus Serotina (Black Cherry)
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A member of the rose family, native to eastern North America, Mexico and Central America, it is one of the largest of the cherries, typically growing to 50-80’ tall with a narrow-columnar to rounded crown. Despite being called black cherry, it is not very closely related to the commonly cultivated cherries.
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It is most noted for its profuse spring bloom, attractive summer foliage and fall color. Fragrant white flowers in slender pendulous clusters (racemes to 6” long) appear with the foliage in spring (late April-May).

Flowers are followed by drooping clusters of small red cherries (to 3/8” diameter) that ripen in late summer to dark purple-black. Fruits are bitter and inedible fresh off the tree, but can be used to make jams and jellies. Fruits have also been used to flavor certain liquors such as brandy and whiskey. Fruits are attractive to wildlife. 

Foliage turns attractive shades of yellow and rose in fall. Mature trees develop dark scaly bark. Bark, roots and leaves contain concentrations of toxic cyanogenic compounds, hence the noticeable bitter almond aroma of the inner bark. 

Native Americans prepared decoctions of the inner bark for cough medicines and tea-like cold remedies. Hard, reddish-brown wood takes a fine polish and is commercially valued for use in a large number of products such as furniture, veneers, cabinets, interior paneling, gun stocks, instrument/tool handles and musical instruments.

With the exception of the cherry flesh, all other parts of this tree contain hydrocyanic acid and should be avoided as leaves have poisoned cattle and children have even died from chewing on the twigs. The fruits of the Black Cherry are a food source for birds and many mammals.
   

Taken on: June 21, 2024

Tags:

Vancouver, BC

Stanley Park

flowering tree

Park

Nature

Urban Tree

Urban Nature

”Black Cherry”

”Wild Black Cherry”

”Rum Cherry”

”Mountain Black Cherry”

Prunus serotina

hydrocyanic acid

toxic tree

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Sets appears in: • Summer • Trees and Woodland

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