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For sale 2005 season Prunus serotina (black cherry tree) seeds. Sold in lots of 20.
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Details
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Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), is the largest of the native cherries. We are blessed with these special trees in our forest in northern Illinois. The cherry fruits were gathered communally by native americans for use in their winter food, pemmican. Cherry fruits are also a major food source for many forms of wildlife, especially songbirds and migrating birds. They made wonderful jelly and wine due to the cherries being pleasantly bitter-sweet.
Black cherry trees are aesthetically pleasing; the springtime showy small white flowers in hanging, narrow clusters 4-6 inches long are slightly fragrant, attract several species of flies, a flower beetle and several species of bees including the honey bee. In late summer, purplish-black shining fruits in drupes abound. In fall, the dark green leaves become a subdued mixture of green, yellow and orange hues, sometimes with a hint of red. Thus, they are a desirable tree for bird gardens, natural landscapes, woodland gardens, forest plantations and restoration projects.
The tree can grow up to 100 feet with medium to fast growth rate (15-20 ft. in 10 years). Black Cherry grows well on a wide variety of soils if summer growing conditions are moist. They grow best on deep moist soils, acid-neutral pH, but will tolerate dry or moderately wet soils; they will not tolerate wetland soils or extremely dry desert like soils, or soils which have been graded. The young seedlings can tolerate some shade for several years, but then need to be \"released\" to full sun; otherwise they will die back and resprout from the roots to try again. They can do this for 40-60 years waiting for the opportunity to shine in the sun.
Its beautiful, fine-grained heartwood has been highly prized for centuries and is still extremely valuable for solid wood furniture, interior trim, and high-quality veneer.
Planting instructions included with seeds.
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