WILD BLACK CHERRIES...A.K.A.

[NorthernWinos]

WILD BLACK CHERRIES [Prunus Serotina]...are they Also Known As...CHOKE CHERRIES [Prunus Verginiana]????

Last fall we picked many berries that we call Choke Cherries off of small trees and bushes in our flower beds and yard....Then we found some later berries on bigger trees in the surrounding yard that looked the same tho maybe slightly bigger...we just blended them together, steamed juiced them and sealed the juice in Mason jars.

I have since made one batch of wine and have jars of juice to make one more batch....So...recently a friend gave us some frozen berries for the 'wine cause'...he called them Wild Black Cherries....

What do you call yours????[if you have any locally] Is the name a regional thing????

I Googled both names and the descriptions seems about the same, maybe except for the size of the bush/tree...there are two different botanical names, and some descriptions use both names...

Just curious as to local names in other areas...?

By The Way...the wine is one of our favorites and am hoping for another bumper crop this year.

 

[OilnH2O]

NW, I am getting vibes that you are concerned we've all abandoned you!


I thought my comment not worth posting when you first brought this up, but you need to at least know someone is reading this!


I have never heard the term "wild black cherries" in reference to anything -- but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I HAVE heard about chokecherries my whole life -- and they grow naturally from the plains through the Rockies, although I don't know how far west, or how far east. The wild chokecherries -- and I know of no domestic version (although again, that doesn't mean there aren't any!) -- grow on multi-stemmed bushes (like a lilac)that can get head-high or higher, and the choke-cherries are small, 1/4-1/2 inch in diameter and grow in bunches, similar to grapes. If I ever get enough, I'd like to try them in wine, but they make SUPER jam!

 

[grapeman]

NW,
Black cherries are indeed a different species, although related to chockecherries/ pin cherries, etc. Like any tree, they start out small, but at maturity can become quite large. They are indeed a timber tree and the wood is very coveted for fine funiture. The cherry cabinets, etc are usually made out of the Black cherry wood. I have seen specimens attain a height over 100 feet and up to 2 feet in diameter. Chokecherries on the other hand usually don't make it much past a large shrub/small tree. The largest I have seen were in untimbered forest lands in the Adirondacks.


Black cherries themselves are a little less astringent, so I would suspect make a better contribution to the flavors if used in wine.

 

[NorthernWinos]

When we moved here we had a big dead tree, my husband said it looked like cherry by the bark...we cut it up, thought someone might like to use it in their smoker...think some of it is still out by our fire pit....looking back...we should have left the tree in larger pieces for use in other projects.

I have Googled Wild Black Cherry and see that it is a different species than Chokecherries, but with similar [same]fruit...I saw that people are selling small chunks for making bowls, etc...So it goes...George Washington.

Some of the trees that are left here are so big we can't get to the fruit, so the birds get the best ones.

As for growing the wild type Chokecherries...they grow very easily and are fairly inexpensive...our County sells them for in shelterbelts...like all the trees they sell they are 25 seedlings for $20...

The garden centers and nursery catalogs sell an ornamental version, with purple leaves...a lovely shade tree....They are called Canada Red Cherry or Canada Red Choke Cherry [Prunus Verginiana Schubert] They are more expensive. We had bought one when we moved here and I made others from cuttings, root cuttings and rooted suckers....they are very easy to propagate....think we have about 7 now...I love those trees. They are suppose to produce berries, ours haven't yet, they did bloom a bit last year. All are prone to black canker.

I saw on another Forum a gal was disappointed in the wild Chokecherry crop, then found some berries on neighborhood ornamental trees and got a bounty of them....So check out your neighborhood for purple leaved trees...you may have some fruit nearby.

http://www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/partnerships/wright/Tree program/Tree pages/canada_red_cherry.htm

BTW....the wine is a definite must...can be heavy like a Merlot....poor man's Merlot!!!Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

Only been here six years, never heard of these before...guess I will be scouring the countryside looking this year.

 

[kutya]

NW, Sorry I missed this post yesterday. We call them chokecherries here as well. They are everywhere around here. Like your county, they sell them for 8 cents each seedling for shelter belts. I participated in a planting of 500 last year. I have made 3 batches of wine from them, and everyone seems to really enjoy it. Last year I picked a 5 gal bucket, and steamed them. I think next year I will pick enough to make 12 gal. You have to fight the birds, but if hit right they are easy to pick. I find a small tree, bend it over and sort of milk the berries off.


Oil, I will bring a bottle when I come to UofM

 

[grapeman]

Here is an explanation of the Black Cherry. Note the last sentence about them being closely related but different species.




The Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) is a species of cherry, native to eastern North America from southern Quebec and Ontario south to Texas and central Florida. It is a species in the subgenus Padus with flowers in racemes, and is a deciduous tree growing to 15-30 m tall.
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The leaves are simple, 6-14 cm long, with a serrated margin. The fruit are 1 cm in diameter, somewhat astringent and bitter to eat fresh, but suitable for making jam and cherry pies; they are also a popular flavoring for sodas. The fruit is readily eaten by birds, which do not taste astringency as unpleasant. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant. The Black Cherry can easily be identified in a forest by its papery, dark red bark. However, for about the first decade or so of its life, the bark resembles that of a Birch, and is thin and striped. It can also quickly be identified by its long, shiny leaves resembling that of a Sourwood.


The Black Cherry is a Pioneer species. In the Midwest, it is seen growing mostly in old fields with other sunlight loving species, such as Black Walnut, Black locust, and Hackberry. It rarely grows to more than 3' diameter, and is short lived for a tree of its size. The short life span may be influenced by the Black Cherry's weak limbs, which break easily during storms and snowfalls. This leads to exposure of the trunk, which causes early decay. The Black Cherry is also a host of the Eastern tent caterpillar, which defoliate entire groves some springs.


It is recommended that farmers quickly remove any Black Cherry trees that fall in a field containing livestock, because the wilted leaves release Cyanide, which if eaten could poison the animals. Removal is not always practical though, because Black Cherries often grow in very large numbers on farms, taking advantage of the light brought about by mowing and grazing. Entire fencerows can be lined with this posionous tree, making it difficult to monitor all the branches falling into the grazing area.


This is perhaps the premier cabinetry timber of the US, traded as "cherry". It is known for its strong red color and high price.


It is closely related to the Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), from which it differs in the larger leaves and the cherries, which when ripe are black (hence the name), not red.

 

[OilnH2O]

Great information from all!


And, a bottle of chokecherry wine when Kutya comes to town -- who's luckier 'n us???

 

[B M W]

So........ When is Kutya coming to town?

I might just have to be visiting my two boys at the U of M.
I can remember picking chokecherries when I was a kidfor my mom and dad to make wine. I hope to pick some this fall,they seem to be easy to find.

 

[kutya]

I am planning on being in Missoula on the 21-22. I am bringing a bus load of kids, so my time will be limited... Would love to have a "Northern" winestock.....

 

[B M W]

A Northern winestock would be fun, unfortunately the 21-22 I have to work, one day in Deer Lodge and one in Helena. I hope you have a good trip, the U is an awesome place, I bet the kids will love it. Both of my sons are going go school there.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Did wine 'maintenance' this morning...have empty Primaries and an empty carboy...

Going to steam juice the assorted fruit from the freezer...

Top...SAND CHERRIES

Left....WILD BLACK CHERRIESRight....CHOKECHERRIES

Going to mix up a Black Cherry [Chokecherry mix] wine tomorrow...One of our favorites

 

[NorthernWinos]

Whilst those cherries were steam-juicing yesterday I kept trying to figure out what they smelled like...finally figured it out...Almonds....

Got the must mixed this morning...will pitch the yeast and other cast of characters [additives] tomorrow and will be on they way to another batch of 'Poor-Man's Merlot'...or what ever anyone else can compare it to....

 

[Wade E]

Almonds huh! They look good!