Bitter cherry
Bitter cherry
Prunus emarginata
Plantae
UNCOMMON

Stats

Lifespan
30-50 yrs
Size
Medium
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Temperate forest
Range
North America
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Seeds
Defense
Toxins
Status
Uncommon

About

This slender tree grows in open woods across western North America. Its bark peels away in horizontal strips to reveal a bright, metallic-looking surface.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rosales
Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Prunus
Species
Prunus emarginata