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Pin Cherry

Prunus pensylvanica

Summary 3

Prunus pensylvanica, also known as bird cherry, fire cherry, pin cherry, and red cherry, is a North American cherry species in the genus Prunus.

Description 4

Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)

Height:
20 to 35 feet at maturity

Habit:
Single trunk, sometimes growing crookedly

Leaves:
Alternate, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, up to 3.5" long and 1.5" wide. Upper surface is shiny and a darker green than the underside

Bark:
Shiny, smooth, reddish brown with horizontal lenticels

Flower:
White, 5-petaled flower, forming clusters (umbels) of 5 to 7 flowers

Fruit:
Bright red cherry (drupe), up to 0.25" across. Held on a long stalk.

Bloom time:
May-June

Fall color:
Purplish red

Nicknames:
Fire Cherry

Habitat:
Forest edges and openings

Wildlife Benefits:
Fruit is a food source for wildlife.

Notes:
An understory tree that often grows in recently disturbed areas, such as logging sites or areas that recently experienced fires. It prefers sun and is a fast grower.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/tree/pin-cherry
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trees/pin-cherry.html

Range 4

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Dan Mullen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/8583446@N05/6927689396/
  2. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
  3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_pensylvanica
  4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Family Rosaceae
Habit Shrub, Tree
Life cycle perennial
Origin native
Flower white
Bloom time (5) May, (6) June
*sites Snail Lake
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