{"product_id":"black-cherry-prunus-serotina-native-louisiana-heritage-fruit-tree","title":"Black Cherry — Prunus serotina | Native Louisiana Heritage Fruit Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCherry bounce. Cherry wine. Cherry jam. All of it from one Louisiana native tree.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Cherry is deeply woven into Southern food heritage. The small, dark fruit is too bitter to eat raw in quantity — but cooked, fermented, or preserved it transforms into something remarkable. Traditional Cajun and Southern kitchens made cherry bounce — cherries steeped in whiskey or brandy with sugar, a classic Louisiana recipe that requires exactly one ingredient you have to grow yourself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond the kitchen, Black Cherry is one of the single most important wildlife trees in North America. Over 100 species of birds and mammals rely on it. The Giant Swallowtail butterfly uses it as a larval host. Restoration ecologists specifically seek it for habitat plantings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy It Belongs in Your Victory Garden\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a tree with two lives — one in your kitchen and one in your ecosystem. Plant it for the cherries. Keep it for everything else it feeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Zone:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9 ✅ All of Louisiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 50–80 ft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Adaptable — prefers moist, well-drained loam\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFruit Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e June–August\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWildlife Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e 100+ bird and mammal species; Giant Swallowtail host plant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eA cornerstone of any serious Louisiana native food forest.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49995904450800,"sku":null,"price":34.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/image_07e29daf-b25a-4ace-91fe-032157b7323b.png?v=1783594588","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/black-cherry-prunus-serotina-native-louisiana-heritage-fruit-tree","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}