Black cherry is one of the most economically important tree species in eastern forests. Wood from this species is used to produce vineer which is used in the making of fine wood cabinentry and furniture. This is the same species used to make products referred to as "cherry." This species produces profuse black fruits that are eaten by wildlife (right). However, some plant tissue, like leaves, release hydrogen cyanide when demaged.
Black cherry was introduced into several European countries. It was planted widely to achieve three main objectives: improve soil fertility, provide food for wildlife, and provide valuable timber. Now the species is generally considered an invasive pest in countries like Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, etc.
In some invaded forests, it is the dominant species. The photograph to the right shows a forest understory carpeted with black cherry seedlings in Germany. It appears to have several attributes contributing to its invasive success including its ability to be dispersed by wildlife.I have been fortunate to study this species both in the United States and in portions of its invasive range.
The time-lapse sequence above was shot over 3 days with one picture taken every 9 minutes using a Canon Digital
Rebel tethered to a laptop running the program RemoteCapture 2.7.
generally considered an invasive pest in countries like Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, etc.