Rosaceae / Prunus emarginata / Bitter Cherry

On that obscenely warm day in early September, our official focus was Elderberry. When we finally came upon a large population roughly 3 miles in; we noticed that curiously, every plant seemed to be bowing even more than their fruit load would indicate. It was only a few more steps before we stepped in the largest scat pile we had ever seen. We glanced around, finding a few more piles and accompanying tracks before continuing on; texting a friend my findings. We weren't more than a few characters in before we heard some rustling about 20m ahead. Looking up from the phone, We were abruptly greeted by a huge mama bear and her two cubs, stuffing their faces. They must have felt our presence as, in that exact instant, they also looked up to meet my eyes. “Hello Bears!” was sent towards their direction. Rudely, they decided to bound off rather than hang out and talk story.

At this point, the ecologist in me obviously had to see what delicious food they were so enamored by. Imagine my disappointment when I walked over to find the largest patch of Bitter Cherry I had ever seen. Loaded and perfectly ripe. Bummer.

A plant after my own heart, Prunus emarginata hold a preference to semi-open areas of the forest, often with recent disturbance. We find them throughout the Sierra Nevada and beyond; a west coast cosmopolitan traversing all the way from sea level to right around 3000m. They form thick stands of shrubs, typically rising to (much) less than 10-15m. Older plants are characterized by their red or silver bark and horizontal lenticels; raised pores which facilitate gas exchange. The simple leaves are also diagnostic with their finely toothed margins. Flowers are white to pink with 5 notched petals and arranged in clusters called corymbs. These eventually turn into glabrous bright red fruits which are beloved by nearly all non-human fauna.

While not a common food, they are also prized by humans. Fruits are used as a laxative. Inner bark is used as an analog with Black Cherry (P. serotina) for heart issues and for respiratory ailments, especially those including coughs. The bark is also used as decoration in basket-making and as a binding material for wrapping various tools.