Rum Cherry

Rum Cherry ~ Prunus serotina

Although the one pictured is young, Rum Cherry is native to would be found in deciduous mixed evergreen-deciduous forests, riparian terraces, roadsides, floodplains, sometimes wetlands, and manmade/disturbed habitats. One of my favorite things about this species is that if you scratch the bark it can release a pungent aroma, which is apparently hydrocyanic (prussic) acid. The cherries produced are an important food source for bird species, and people have traditionally used them to flavor rum and brandy. One issue is that the leaves are poisonous to cattle and other animals though.