Fire Cherry is a deciduous tree that is native to much of Canada and south to Georgia in the Appalachian mountains. In NC it is found in the mountains only. It grows in dry to moist clearings, open woods, woodland edges and disturbed sites. Its seeds sprout easily after a fire and can lay dormant for many years. In fact, it has its common name, Fire Cherry, due to its value as a reforesting agent after fires. It has another common name, Bird Cherry, that comes from the fact that birds use the fruits of this plant for food. It is a small narrow tree to shrub in form and may reach heights of 30 feet or more. This tree is generally short-lived around 20-40 years but is a high-value wildlife tree. It grows rapidly and has a shallow root system. The wood is not used commercially. This plant forms stands that provide shade for seedlings of plants with a slower growth rate. This plant will then die off, making room for the seedlings to grow. Fire Cherry prefers well-drained, moist soils in full sun. It is very intolerant of shade. The clusters of white flowers in spring are showy as are the red drupes in summer and fall. The bark is also attractive with horizontal lenticels and may also peel in strips. Fire Cherry Prefers cooler summers and would not do well in hot humid climates. It can be used in naturalized areas, meadows or open woodland sites for wildlife to enjoy. There are better trees to use for the home yard or garden especially in the Piedmont and coastal areas. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: The most common leaf disease is cherry leaf spot. Powdery mildew and rust can be a problem . The most widespread and commonly observed disease of pin cherry is black knot. Insects that attack pin cherries are leaf feeders, eastern tent caterpillars, fall cankerworms, and a web-spinning sawflies. More information on Prunus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Open; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are simple and alternate and oval to lance-shaped. 3 to 5 inches long and ¾ to 1½ inches wide, pointed tip, tapered or rounded base. The upper surface is dark yellow-green and shiny, the lower surface lighter and smooth or with hairs along the veins. Margins are finely serrated. Fall color is showy in reds and oranges.
Fall color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1/2-inch flowers with 5 white petals and several yellow-tipped stamens in the center occur in spring. Umbrels have 3-7 flowers each and occur at branch tips and short lateral branches. Flower blooms from April to May.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/ 4-inch red drupe with a single seed in the center in late summer and fall.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark shiny reddish-brown to gray with conspicuous horizontal lenticels (pores). Bark peels in horizontal strips
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Twigs are red to reddish-brown, shiny smooth or occasionally sparsely hairy with a flaky, waxy cuticle.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
United States and Canada
Distribution
USA: CO , CT , GA , IA , IL , IN , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MT , NC , ND , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV , WY Canada: AB , BC , MB , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC , SK
Wildlife value
It is a host plant for the Coral Hairstreak, Red-Spotted Purple, Spring Azure, and Viceroy butterflies. Adult butterflies nectar from the spring flowers. This is a also larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.Its fruits are eaten by songbirds, small mammals and bears. Ruffed grouse eat the buds. Foilage and twigs are browsed by white-tailed deer and moose.
Fruits can be used for jelly or syrup. Sour off the tree.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Parts of the tree has been used medicinally
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree
Garden tags
#deciduous #showy flowers #nectar plant #native tree #deer browsing plant #small tree #fire low flammability #NC native #food source summer #food source fall #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #larval host plant #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly #nectar plant late spring #nectar plant mid-spring #fall interest #pollinator plant #showy fruits #frequent disease problems #high maintenance #frequent insect problems #wildlife friendly #fragrant flowers #short lived
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Cherry Lace Bug; Eastern Tent Caterpillar; Fall Cankerworm; American Plum Borer in Ornamentals
Problems
Frequent Disease Problems; Frequent Insect Problems; Messy; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Short-lived
Particularly resistant to
fire in the landscape.
Propagation
Root Cutting; Seed; Stem Cutting
Fire risk
low flammability
Poison severity
Medium
Poison parts
Bark; Flowers; Leaves; Stems
Poison symptoms
The pits contain cyanide compounds, which are poisonous. If a couple of pits are accidentally swallowed, it will not cause poisoning. The pits are more poisonous if they are ground up/crushed or the seeds are chewed. Fruit that has not been pitted should not be blended into a smoothie. Symptoms include gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure.
Toxic principle
Cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin.
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Medium severity poison; parts: Bark; Flowers; Leaves; Stems