The Annual Growth of Wild Cherry Trees
The wild cherry (Prunus serotina), also called black cherry or wild rum cherry, is a quickly growing tree. Its fast growth -- along with the shade it produces, its ornamental flowers in springtime and its value in attracting wildlife to the yard -- make it a valuable landscape tree in the home garden.
The wild cherry is a member of the rose family. It is native to eastern North America, Mexico and parts of Central America, and is winter hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. In springtime, 6-inch racemes of white flowers cover the tree along with burgeoning leaf buds. Fall colors of red, orange and yellow may light up the tree for a short period in fall, but color quality varies among trees and depending on the weather.
Wild cherry grows quickly, usually adding 24 to 36 inches to its height in a single growing season. When young, the tree is usually pyramidal in shape, but grows into a narrow columnar or irregular oval shape. Saplings do not grow faster than older trees. Terminal growth on cherries may be faster than height growth, however, reaching rates of 4 to 6 feet per year with fertilization. Growth varies depending on soil fertility, light and water.
Wild cherry is one of the tallest cherry trees, growing to heights of 50 to 80 feet. In optimum conditions, it may even reach 100 feet, and the tallest tree ever recorded -- in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- is 134 feet with a 70 foot spread. Generally, however, its spread is between 30 and 60 feet. On good sites, the tree trunk will hit 2 feet in diameter upon maturity. Wild cherry may reach full height in as soon as 17 or so years, and since it has a longevity of 50 to 150 years, will spend most of its life as an adult tree.
Wild cherry prefers full sun to partial shade and a medium amount of water. Its best performance is in moist, fertile loams, though once established it displays a high drought tolerance. It also tolerates a range of soil types, from sand to clay, of acidic or alkaline pH. When growing on a lawn or otherwise near grass, keep grasses contained to ensure they do not outcompete the wild cherry. As low branches will often droop and touch the ground, you may prune the tree to remove them.
Wild cherry is often used as a shade tree and an ornamental tree, both for spring blossoms as well as fall color. Although its fruits may be picked and eaten, they are bitter and unpalatable when fresh and must be cooked or canned to become edible. Birds and other wildlife, however, will eat the cherries, so they are valuable assets if you are trying to attract animals to the garden. Since the pits of dropped fruit may roll to walkways, causing pedestrians to fall, you shouldn’t grow the tree near sidewalks or other hard surfaces.
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