Bitter cherry
Family: Rosaceae
Native to: Western North America
Eco benefits: attracts pollinators, attracts birds, medicinal
Natural habitat: understory, barren or disturbed ground, forest edge
Shapes: clump, single trunk, upright
Height: 4-50ft
Unique attractions: flowers, fruit
Common uses: landscaping, naturalized plantings
Light: full sun, partial shade
Soil: moist and fertile, well drained, drought tolerant, dry
Bitter Cherry is a fruit-bearing shrub (P. emarginata var. emarginata) to small tree (P. emarginata var. mollis), native to western North America. Leaves are Serrated and ovate to elliptic in shape. The bark is smooth, gray to reddish and with prominent horizontal lenticels. Clusters of Almond-scented white flowers appear in spring followed by plump, red to purple inedible cherries. The more common shrub form can grow in thickets, suckering from widespread underground roots.
