North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Charles Paradise <machelp@attglobal.net>]

Prunus Serotina - the native american big cherry tree - the same used to make 
cherry furniture - is a flavor rarely tasted even by fruit fanciers.  The 
closest would be Luden's Wild cherry flavored cough drops.  A rare special 
experience to taste.  This tree like any others is subject to variation 
throughout its vast range, and better and worse areas of local trees are 
found.  There are a few good ones to be encountered, but few and far between. 
 I've got a good one grafted, but the berries are small.  Who knows what 
prevents these powerful, young-bearing trees from fulfilling their fruiting 
potential, birds are part of the reason but other reasons could exist, who 
knows what it is.
Charlie Paradise Massachusetts

Jim Fruth wrote:

>    A pain in the butt to pick the fruit.  I run into them while picking
> choke cherries.  Both have clusters of fruit not unlike grapes.  Choke
> cherries ripen the whole cluster at the same time.  Black cherries ripen one
> cherry at a time with the whole cluster ripening over a couple of weeks with
> never more than one or two ripe berries to be found within the cluster -
> berries fall off soon after ripening if the birds don't get them first.
> --
>
> Jim Fruth
> Brambleberry Farm
> Pequot Lakes, MN
> www.bberryfarm.com