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["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Indian peach, Oemlaria cerasiformis, is a native plant with small black drupes that grows around here.  It's the very first thing to leaf out and bloom in the spring.  What makes it interesting is that with all the erratic spring weather and frosts we had this year, I still found a big bush of it in a fence row that had the heaviest crop of fruit I've ever seen on this species.  And while there isn't much flesh on the fruits, they were surprisingly pleasant to eat.   There's always something that produces, no matter what the adversity, it seems.
It's worth adding that the leaves smell like cucumber and make a fair tea when dry. 
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003. 
For even more grape lessons, go to  http://www.grapeschool.com
For growing supplies and more;  http://www.grapegrowersolutions.com