Author Topic: Looking for edible wild florida cherries  (Read 2059 times)

D-Grower

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Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« on: August 05, 2021, 02:21:28 PM »
Looking for wild cherries that are edible yhat grow here in the panhandle.  Tried seeds from elsewhere and the seedlings hated it here. As long as they are edible im cool with whatever varieties.  Tried transplanting seedlings from a friends property. All died. He no longer lives there so I cannot try again when they go dormant.  Thanks for any help!

DG
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Citradia

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2021, 09:08:41 PM »
What is the species name of the cherry you are talking about? The American Black Cherry which is a huge tree with tiny black fruit may live in the FL panhandle but it’s not considered good fruit for human consumption. I lived in Gainesville 22 years ago and there was no actual cherry that could live there. Not cold enough in winter. I moved to NC so I could grow cherry and apple trees etc. Do you mean Chickasaw plum ie prunus angustifolia? I always thought they were more like a cherry than a plum. I made a tart jam out of them once. Beautiful tree.
There is a Surinam cherry and a Barbados cherry that I used to grow just south of Tampa, but they are tropical and not true cherries and probably too cold for them in the panhandle.
I did grow Okame cherry in Gainesville and it was a true cherry with nice pink flowers in spring, but not a fruiting variety.

D-Grower

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2021, 10:40:30 AM »
There definitely is wild true cherries here. Probably Prunus serotina or viriginiana. I do have chickasaw plums on my properties already.  There is whatever true wild cherries around but I see them up in peoples yards and such and cant access them without maybe getting in trouble. Maybe one day I'll see a tree in fruit I can get to. As far as I know the wild cherries are edible but maybe not the most tasteful.  There's medicinal value I would want available on my land as well as almost anything cooked and sweetened like a jam etc would be good enough. 
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Galatians522

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2021, 04:31:20 PM »
You are right Prunus serotina grows in your area. Actually, I have seen many trees here in Highlands County. I think this is the southern end of its natural range, though. However, I believe that has more to do with soil than chill because I have seen some trees fruit with less than 50hrs of chill here. There was a nice fruiting tree in the neighbor's yard, but it was cut down when new people moved in. Fortunately, a seedling sprung up in the fence row but it has not fruited yet. At one point, the University of Florida made hybrids with the closely related Capulin, but I don't know what became of them. Apparently the Capulin didn't thrive in Florida.

While Okame does not produce fruit, the Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata) does, and is apparently very popular for its pink blooms in your area. People rairly see the fruit, though, because birds like it so much. It is more closely related to sweet cherries than Black Cherry and I read once that it makes good jam. I have not been able to find that link again, though. It might be worth looking in to.

Rispa

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2022, 06:20:29 AM »
Did you find some OP?

D-Grower

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2022, 03:24:20 PM »
Never got any seeds. There was a local fruiting tree but I didn't want to trespass on someone's land to get to it. Maybe I'll knock next year. Probably best I find a local tree which should do well here.

Thanks G522. I'll look into those avenues.
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Galatians522

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2022, 10:26:08 PM »
There are a couple native nurseries that carry black cherry. I called one several years ago when I was hoping to get rootstock for grafting Capulin. They had them in stock, but it was a 4-5 hr drive and I never followed through. It may take a few phone calls, but you can ask for a reference if the first ones you call don't have it in stock. Here is a link to get you started.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fann.org/plants/detail/prunus-serotina&ved=2ahUKEwjHjbb1ubj4AhULmmoFHQqZCSEQFnoECAgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3yjDL9GmpXYpKJ6pq6NM_p

1rainman

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2022, 08:28:43 PM »
Never heard of wild cherries in Florida though I'm not too familiar with the panhandle. Blackberries, grapes, pecans, and wild oranges and wild grapefruit I have seen though citrus is not technically native. Never saw cherries.

Galatians522

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #8 on: August 19, 2022, 11:36:29 PM »
Black cherry is in the bird cherry group, so it is distinct from most of the rest of the prunus genus. They should be able to survive anywhere a pecan will grow--maybe even a little further south. Highlands County is about the furthest south I have seen them. Most of the wild plums and cherries were cleared about 100 years ago for citrus land. I believe that Cherry Laurel (which is ib the prunus genus) grows in your vicinity, but it does not produce edible fruits according to most sources.

D-Grower

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2022, 11:36:55 AM »
Never heard of wild cherries in Florida though I'm not too familiar with the panhandle. Blackberries, grapes, pecans, and wild oranges and wild grapefruit I have seen though citrus is not technically native. Never saw cherries.

The wild cherries here are not very similar in size to store bought cherries. Much smaller and might not be recognized as cherries at all. I've seen them up in people's yards but have yet to find a fruiting one where I can get to it. Tried growing some from more northward but they really didn't like it here. Best to find some from trees around the panhandle area.
Black cherry is in the bird cherry group, so it is distinct from most of the rest of the prunus genus. They should be able to survive anywhere a pecan will grow--maybe even a little further south. Highlands County is about the furthest south I have seen them. Most of the wild plums and cherries were cleared about 100 years ago for citrus land. I believe that Cherry Laurel (which is ib the prunus genus) grows in your vicinity, but it does not produce edible fruits according to most sources.

Cherry laurel as far as I know is poisonous. Good looking tree potentially but not useful. My dad has one on his property in Northern west central Florida. Took me awhile to figure out what it was. Does has a cherry like scent to it.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2022, 11:38:42 AM by D-Grower »
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1rainman

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2022, 09:35:37 PM »
Pecans will grow anywhere in Florida if you have a southern type. But you won't get nuts other than north Florida due to lack of chill hours. I just can't imagine a cherry in the tropics.

D-Grower

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2022, 04:56:14 AM »
There's definitely wild forms of a true cherry as far down as the mid state at least naturally occurring. Up here in the panhandle there's definitely wild black cherry and maybe sour bird cherry too. They don't look much like a store bought cherry necessarily. Much smaller in size. Don't think most quality cherry varieties would do well whatsoever here. I did once see a very low bush with what appeared to be store looking and sized "cherries" on the plant near the Alexander springs camp ground many, many years ago. They weren't ripe at the time so didn't try them. Looked just like a store cherry but still green. Have no clue if it truly was a cherry or not though. Damn near identical. Maybe a seedling from thrown seeds??? Idk.
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Galatians522

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Re: Looking for edible wild florida cherries
« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2022, 06:54:21 AM »
There's definitely wild forms of a true cherry as far down as the mid state at least naturally occurring. Up here in the panhandle there's definitely wild black cherry and maybe sour bird cherry too. They don't look much like a store bought cherry necessarily. Much smaller in size. Don't think most quality cherry varieties would do well whatsoever here. I did once see a very low bush with what appeared to be store looking and sized "cherries" on the plant near the Alexander springs camp ground many, many years ago. They weren't ripe at the time so didn't try them. Looked just like a store cherry but still green. Have no clue if it truly was a cherry or not though. Damn near identical. Maybe a seedling from thrown seeds??? Idk.

You are right about Black Cherry fruiting in the middle of the state. I have observed wild populations in Highlands County bloom with less than 100 hrs. Okinowan cultivars of the Taiwan flowering cherry (Prunus campanulata) are reported to bloom as far south as Palm Beach County in cold years. It is in the same section as sweet cherry and is very similar in many regards. Prunus Pseudocerasus is also very low chill. The University of Florida reports that it is not hardy in Gainesville. I've just never been able to find a plant.