Description
Black Cherry (var. escarpment) is a handsome, native hardwood tree found along limestone canyons, shaded bluffs, and moist draws of the Edwards Plateau. Historically prized for its lustrous, fine-grained reddish-brown timber used in fine cabinetmaking, its dark bark displays distinct horizontal lenticels. In spring, drooping racemes of fragrant white blossoms lure honeybees, solitary mining bees, and swallowtail butterflies. By late summer, its dark purple fruits provide nutritious energy for migratory songbirds and small mammals, while its foliage serves as a critical larval host plant for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and Red-Spotted Purple butterflies.
