Can You Eat Cherries From a Black Cherry Tree?

Can you eat black cherry tree fruit?

Black cherries, although a result of a cross-pollination between a cherry and an Amelanchier arborea, are not technically considered to be “true” cherries. That said, the fruits do still contain the same health benefits as red and white varieties! so you can surely eat them.

Like their red and white counterparts, black cherries contain antioxidants such as anthocyanins in their flesh. The difference between black and traditional cherry fruit is that they also include the beneficial antioxidants in their seed.

You probably already know that you can eat cherries from a red cherry tree. But what about those black cherry trees? Do they grow the same as traditional cherry trees, or do they have some special abilities of their own? Read on to find out more!

Black Cherry Trees: The Takeaway
Black cherries are distinctly different from red and white fruit; this is because they’re actually the result of pollination between a wild cherry and a native American service berry (Amelanchier arborea). The cherry tree (Prunus genus) is the parent, while the serviceberry is the donor.

Black cherries are technically considered to be hybrids, which means they can’t be grown commercially. “Commercial” is an important word here, because black cherries make up a major part of the black cherry’s natural pollination cycle. The species is vulnerable to loss of the various species within their pollination cycle; unfortunately, not much can be done besides making sure other native tree species are able to reproduce.

Is wild black cherry poisonous?

This is a question that has been debated by various people. People have mixed feelings about this type of fruit; some say it’s the perfect ingredient for juicing, while others say it can be too overpowering to eat in large quantities. On the one hand, it is the perfect ingredient for juicing, because when juiced, the fruit’s dark pigment gives it a strong, distinctive flavor. It makes a great addition to smoothies and juices in general because of this!

On the other hand, many nutritionists warn against consuming large amounts of black cherry juice. The fruit is high in vitamin C and anthocyanins—which are powerful antioxidants—but it also contains a high amount of sugars and potassium.