Is a black cherry a good tree to plant in Indiana?
Black Cherry can work here, with caveats. One of the most abundant volunteer hardwoods in central Indiana — fencerows, the unmowed back third of lots, and the edge of every subdivision woodlot. Flag it for anyone with livestock: wilted black cherry leaves on a storm-broken limb release cyanide and have killed cattle and sheep, so downed cherry must come out of a pasture immediately rather than waiting for the regular cleanup.
What you'd be signing up to clean up
Small dark fruit falls in quantity through July and August, staining driveways, decks, patio furniture, and light-colored siding a purple-black that does not simply hose off. The consequence is worse than the fruit itself — the crop pulls in flocks of birds, and the droppings land on those same surfaces plus whatever is parked underneath.
Where to keep it away from
Shallow and spreading, with most of the root mass in the top 2 ft, so this is the tree that suffers when a trailer, a mulch pile, or a contractor's truck parks inside the dripline for a week. It also sprouts hard from roots and stumps — eradication trials found ground-level cut stumps killed essentially none of the trees — so a cut cherry returns as a thicket unless the stump is ground out or treated.
Related
- How much does it cost to remove a black cherry?→
- Should I remove or save my black cherry?→
- When should a black cherry be pruned?→
- Are black cherry roots a problem for foundations or pipes?→
- Is my black cherry dying or just stressed?→
- How much does it cost to remove an american basswood?→
- Should I remove or save my american basswood?→
- When should an american basswood be pruned?→