Pretty sure it'll be hardy there, if its lineage is of a northern source. They do well enough w/some competition & shade -- in fact they can compete w/canopy specialists like hemlock, sugar maple & tuliptree.

I can only assume it was seed grown in Toronto. Not as far north as me, but more "northern" then getting it shipped from the states or shipped from BC.

Seeing as they are a pioneer species I wouldnt have thought that theyd be able to compete with such large over story trees. Especially tulip poplar.

Canadian, the major old-growth forest canopy trees in extreme western MD's Swallow Falls State park were hemlock, white pine, tuliptree and, surprise, black cherry. All were 100' + tall easily.

Below are some hemlocks there -- didn't catch a black cherry in this pic, but they were there & of similar size:

to be honest, I was confused when some sources state that it can grow in partial shade yet it is also considered a pioneer species. I can't think of one that is. at least off the top of my head. they also grow just as tall as many canopy trees. the more I read into it the more interesting the tree is

The one on my lot has grown vigorously since this pic was taken about 9 yrs ago -- I'd guess half again as tall and more than twice the mass now:

As a generalization, bl. cherry is more suited to beng's area than our area....ie. Great Lakes. We've got em here but rarely impressive. Yes, there are exceptions. Back when I was just a wee forestry student, our prof. would take us on tree id. trips to a patch of woods which happened to contain a bl. cherry so large that normal id indicators were useless. That was a big one, but most, like the few scraggly ones on my land, are just never going to amount to much. We here in the W. Great Lakes are subject to considerably colder air than even places like W. Maryland.

I guess try it and see if I'm full of crap. But mostly, I see rather poor specimens in this part of the world. I'd agree too that bl. cherry is a late-succession species more so than an early colonizer.

+oM

If you're still there how is your black cherry doing? I sprouted one from seed last year and am awaiting spring to see if it's survived.

Question: Are these trees just not desirable? I've never seen one for sale. Why does no one want them?

I like Prunus serotina. I love them covered with spring flowers and value the fruit for wildlife. Fall color can be attractive. The one out in the middle of our back field is a tree that I enjoy seeing on a regular basis. But I live on a farm where they occur naturally, filling in around the edges of fields and along road verges. I love the wood when we need to take a damaged tree down.

I can understand why they aren’t commonly sold because they can be messy and the dropped fruit or birds can create stains. They are periodically damaged by heavy snow or ice, and are prone to a variety of disfiguring insects such as tent caterpillars and diseases such as blackknot. So while I love them here, I wouldn’t plant one on a typical suburban lot where trees are typically not so likely to be messy or at times unsightly. Right now the one I see every day has giant clumps of old caterpillar webbing stuck high in the branches, not the most appealing look.

They seed themselves throughout our small woods, but black knot disfigures and weakens 9 out of 10. I’ve got a few on the woodland edge that fit in nicely, but agree with the others that it’s a tree best enjoyed from the perimeter. The bark change is interesting once they get a few years on them and fall color can be quite nice. BTW, I’ve never seen a tree seal off a wound as quick and clean as P. serotina.

Wild Black Cherry is a tree I love. I love it as lumber, as firewood, and I love the appearance of the bark. I can see the cherry behind each flake of the bark. When you look at the bark there's a grey outer color with red beneath. But I wouldn't want one on my front lawn. They tend to grow about 3 feet and then change direction. The way to grow them i as what you'd get by scattering seed by hand. About a foot apart so that they grow straight. Planted like that they'd self limit themselves and stay true.

I had one in my driveway about 36" in diameter. There was a limb about 18" that hung over the driveway. I put a steel cable up there and used it to hang an electric winch from. Great for processing. Seedlings are $74 per hundred from Musser's Forest.

Interesting that both NHBabs and maackia mention black knot on black cherry - seems like the black cherries around here hardly ever get the disease (even though the chokecherries around here get hammered by it). Tent caterpillars and fall webworm are common on BC here. Never noticed any issues with hardiness. Can't say I've ever been impressed by the fall color.

As has been mentioned, Black cherry is an important species for wildlife (in particular as a host plant for many Lepidoptera). I enjoy watching flocks of waxwings and other birds feeding on the BC's in my backyard and the vacant lot nearby.

The fruit doesn’t rival Amelanchier, but it’s not bad if fully ripened. They’re just too small to be worth the effort. Leave them to the birds. :)

Chokecherry is used a lot in landscape around here so I thought a BC would be nice. BC is basically (not genetically, but essentially) a giant chockecherry, no? Seems like it would make a nice tree