Prunus nigra
Prunus avium
black plum, Canada plum, Canadian plum, prunier noir
cerisier des oiseaux, sweet cherry, wild cherry
with axillary end buds, usually glabrous, rarely hairy.
with terminal end buds, glabrous.
deciduous;
petiole 8–22 mm, glabrate with hairs adaxially, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–3, discoid;
blade broadly elliptic to obovate, (5–)7–11 × 3–6.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded or subcordate, margins doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex abruptly acuminate, abaxial surface hairy along midribs and major veins, adaxial glabrous.
deciduous;
petiole (14–)20–40 mm, nearly glabrous or sparsely hairy adaxially, glandular distally or on margins at bases of blades, glands 1–3, discoid;
blade oblong, elliptic-obovate, or obovate, (4–)7–14 × (2.5–)4–8.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex abruptly short-acuminate, abaxial surface moderately hairy (especially midribs and veins), adaxial glabrous.
2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles.
1–3-flowered, umbellate fascicles.
7–20 mm, usually glabrous, rarely hairy.
(14–)25–52 mm, glabrous.
blooming before or at leaf emergence;
hypanthium red-tinged, obconic, 3–4(–5) mm, usually glabrous, rarely hairy externally;
sepals broadly spreading to reflexed, ovate, 2–4(–5) mm, margins glandular-toothed, abaxial surface usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy, adaxial glabrous or hairy;
petals white, often fading to pink, suborbiculate to oblong-obovate, 8–13 mm;
ovaries glabrous.
blooming at leaf emergence;
hypanthium tubular-urceolate, 5–7 mm, glabrous externally;
sepals reflexed, oblong, 4–6 mm, margins entire or sparsely and irregularly toothed, surfaces glabrous;
petals white, obovate to suborbiculate, 12–15 mm;
ovaries glabrous.
red, orange, or yellowish, barely glaucous, globose to ellipsoid, 15–30 mm, glabrous;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones ovoid-ellipsoid, strongly flattened.
dark red to purplish black, globose, 13–30 mm, glabrous;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones subglobose, not flattened.
= 16.
= 16.
Prunus nigra
Prunus avium
In the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, Prunus nigra co-occurs with, and is sometimes confused with, P. americana, despite being distinct in both flower and leaf. The red-tinged hypanthia and sepals of P. nigra give the entire inflorescence a pinkish coloration even when the petals are pure white, and the sepals bear obvious glandular teeth along their margins; in P. americana the hypanthia and sepals are green and the sepals bear relatively few glandular teeth or are eglandular. The leaf marginal teeth of P. nigra are rounded and bear glands at their tips or have callus scars where the glands fell off; those of P. americana are acute and eglandular; some may have a callused tip.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Cultivars of Prunus avium are grown in North America both for their attractive flowers, especially where the Japanese ornamental cherries are not hardy, and for their sweet fruits. Most of the sweet cherry crop in North America is grown in the Pacific Coast states and in Michigan and Ontario. Most varieties are self-incompatible and require pollen from a variety in a different incompatibility group in order to set fruits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
MN Wildflowers- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
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Flora NW, 
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IL Wildflowers, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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