Wild Cherry Tree
The Origin And Survival Of The Wild Cherry Tree
Aside from its handsome, distinguished bloom and the beautiful, deep purple fruit that it creates, the wild cherry tree is a natural resource which is tapped into for many reasons. The Indian tribes native to North America have stripped the bark and used the fruit of the wild cherry tree for centuries, and have found many uses for it that we may not know about today if not for them. Each tribe had its own use and method for the wild cherry tree, and many of these natural elixirs and potions have been replicated in the modern world of herbal medicine.
The Meskwaki tribe commonly boiled the inner sheath beneath the bark of the wild cherry tree for use as a sedative. Along that same way of thinking, the Cherokee tribe gave this exact potion to women while they suffered labor, as it seemed to take the edge off of the pain. Tribes native to the California region used this same bark elixir for diarrhea, yet others for the relief of respiratory inflammation and lung disease. Today, wild cherry tree bark is most often offered in bill form through homeopathic and herbal remedy supplier, and is recommended for a great many of these same symptoms.
The wild cherry tree is indigenes to North America, but is also cultivated in Europe for its beautiful wood. The bark of the wild black cherry tree is a common ingredient in cough syrups the world over, though no scientific research has been done to confirm the medicinal value of the bark. The deep purple to black fruit of this particular wild cherry tree is often used in jams, as it tends to be severely bitter when eaten raw.
The wild cherry tree varies in size depending on both which type it is, and how much exposure it has to the sun and to water. Most of these hardy trees can grow in very sandy areas just as well as they can grow in sour soil. The wild cherry tree that is most commonly seen in yards, fields, and wooded areas can reach a respectable 25’ in height, and wears white blossoms in the late spring. These flowers give way to tiny choke cherries, which are not readily used by humans. These trees are for the birds, so to speak.
The wild black cherry tree is a bit more rare, and has many uses for those who would see its possibilities. They say that the black cherry tree loves to give his fruit away, and that the more we take, the more he happily provides. And he doesn’t seem to mind all that much when stripped of his bark by humans in the early spring and the late fall seasons. He gladly gives what he can to those who take what they will.