PNW Native
Shrubs are 4-40 ft. tall with a slender trunk and can reach heights of up to 80 ft, with red-brown to grey bark, with alternate, deciduous, oblong leaves 1-3 in. long, finely toothed with rounded tips, white-pink flowers 2-3 in. wide, with 5-10 together in a cluster. Fruits are red, bitter cherries, about 0.5 in. long. (2)
Bitter cherry ranges along Western North America from British Columbia to Baja California and spreads as far East as Wyoming and New Mexico. (1)
Bitter cherry prefers low-mid elevations, moist forests and streamside environments, forest edges and clearings, and is a pioneer species in recently-logged ecosystems (2)
Bitter cherry serves as a valuable forage species for large mammals including ungulates and black bear and is highly preferred in the PNW during winter by black-tailed deer. Livestock also forage bitter cherry for browse. Cherries are widely eaten by rodents, other small mammals, and birds. Slugs eat a substantial portion in Washington, and in the Sierra Nevada, they are an important food source for mountain beavers. Thickets provide habitat and cover for small animals such as the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. (1)
Bitter cherry bark strips were used to waterproof cordage, join implements at the joints, decorate baskets, and was traded from the southern to central parts of the Northwest Coast. Only the outer bark was harvested, and it was harvested in horizontal strips. (3) Cherries were used as laxatives; roots and bark were drunk as tea to prevent heart ailments. (1)
Bitter cherry has much value for ecological restoration, erosion control, and soil stabilization. It is used to rehabilitate acid mine spoils in California and Nevada. It is also a prized ornamental species. Its wood is fragrant and used occasionally in woodworking or as fuel for fire. (1)
