Prunus emarginata
Rosaceae
Bitter Cherry
Shrub to small tree, often produces thickets. Bark reddish brown to gray, rows of pores around the trunk. Leaves deciduous, 1–1 1/2 in. long, widest toward rounded tip, finely toothed. Flowers in flat-topped cluster. Flower petals 5, white to pinkish, more or less 20 stamens. Fruit is a bitter cherry 1/3 in. in diameter, bright red. Grows in mixed forests, rocky slopes, at mid- to alpine elevations. Var. mollis is tree-like, to 50 ft., calyx and lower leaf surface thickly short-hairy; found west of Cascades. Var. emarginata is shrub-like, with many stems to 12 ft. tall; found east of Cascades. Important food for birds.
- Rarity: Common
- Flowering Time: Late Spring
- Flower Form: 5 Petals-Many Stamens
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 3–30 feet
- Habitat: Coastal, East-side Forest, Meadow, West-side Forest
- Found In: Crater Lake NP, Mt. Rainier NP, N Cascades NP, Olympic NP, Siskiyous, Steens, Wallowas, West Gorge
- Native: Yes
