Fire cherry – description, flowering period and general distribution in Ontario. Branch with buds blooming on it

Fire cherry – description, flowering period and general distribution in Ontario. flowering young trees

Fire cherry – description, flowering period and general distribution in Ontario. flowering branch close-up

Fire cherry – description, flowering period and general distribution in Ontario. flowers and young leaves

Fire cherry – description, flowering period and general distribution in Ontario. green leaves, shape and texture

Fire cherry – description, flowering period and general distribution in Ontario. ripe fruit branch

Common name:

Fire cherry

Scientific name:

Prunus pensylvanica.

Other common name(s):

Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry.

Life form:

Tree-shrub.

Flowering time:

no data.

Flowering period

in Ontario for this plant is: Late May ↔ June.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
No data

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor

General distribution:

Pin cherry occurs from Newfoundland and southern Labrador west across Canada to British Columbia and southern Northwest Territories. It is widespread in New England and the Lake States; south of Pennsylvania, it occurs only in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee. Scattered stands are also found in the Rocky Mountains, south to Colorado and southeast to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Map of distribution and habitat in Canada

This plant is present in at least 41 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Pin cherry is a shrub or small tree. It generally has a straight trunk and a narrow, round-topped crown, though it may form thickets. Branches, at first ascending, become more or less horizontal and spreading with age. Pin cherry generally grows 15 to 50 feet (5-15 m) tall and 4 to 20 inches (10-51 cm) in diameter. However, trees up to 100 feet tall (30 m) have been found in the southern Appalachians, with the largest size attained on western slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains. In western North America, pin cherry may be generally smaller with an arching shrub form, growing 5 to 15 feet (1.5-4.5 m) tall and spreading 5 to10 feet (1.5-3 m).

Pin cherry has thin foliage, with leaves 1.5 to 4.3 inches (4-11 cm) long and 0.5 to 1.75 inches (1-4.5 cm) wide. Flowers grow in small clusters of 5 to 7 with individual flowers 0.4 inches (1 cm) across. Fruit are drupes 0.15 to 0.3 inch (4-8 mm) across with 1 large seed. Seeds are 0.15 to 0.24 inch (4-6 mm) in diameter with a thick seed coat. There are 13,600 to 22,700 seeds per pound (30,000-50,000 seeds/kg).

Pin cherry has a shallow root system.

Pin cherry is short-lived, maturing rapidly and dying off at 20 to 40 years.

Seasonal development:

Flower buds form in August or September and flowers bloom with the expanding leaves from late March through June. Fruit matures from July to September and may persist on trees through the autumn. Seed dispersal occurs from July into the winter months.

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List of honey plants that may be blooming now in Ontario

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