Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

Are Weeping Cherry Fruits Edible?

Ornamental Cherries: Not for Eating

Weeping cherry trees are grown for their spectacular spring flowers, not their fruit. The cherries they produce are tart, sour, and have very little flesh around a large pit. Some sources indicate the pit may be toxic. It's best to avoid eating ornamental cherries altogether.

Key Takeaway

Enjoy the blossoms; leave the fruit for the birds.

Trees: Growing Cherries in Texas: Only Sour Types in North Texas; Propagating Fruit Trees: Why Grafting Beats Cuttings; Do Japanese Cherry Trees Need a Pollinator to Bloom?; Reviving an Old Bing Cherry Tree for Larger Fruit; Growing Heirloom Cherries from Monticello: Seed Tips and Cross-Pollination; Growing Cherries from Seed in Houston: Climate Mismatch; Rooting Cherry Trees: Early Spring, IBA Hormone; Cherry Tree Growth Rate and Fast-Growing Alternatives; Dwarf Weeping Cherry: 'Stella' Variety; Why Sweet Cherries Rarely Fruit in Georgia's Climate

Garden Articles

Walnut Seedling Pruning and Wild Cherry Gummosis

Protecting Young Cherry Trees from Spring Frost

Yoshino Cherry Roots Near Water Line: No Risk to Modern Pipes

Wild Cherry Borers: Protecting Nearby Maples and Ash

Controlling Eastern Tent Caterpillars on Dwarf Cherry Trees

Pruning Cherry Blossom Trees: Timing and Technique for Walkway Clearance

Growing Cherry Trees from Pits: Why They Won't Match the Parent

Plants

Managing Black Knot on Cherry Trees

Weeping Cherry Branch Dieback: Check Scale, Planting Depth, and Roots

Protecting Blooming Cherry Trees from Late Frost

Determining If a Weeping Cherry Tree Is Dead After Summer Decline

Pine Bark Mulch Safe for Weeping Cherry

Managing Sucker Growth on Yoshino Cherry Trees

Growing Cherry Trees from Seed: Stratification, Grafting, and Realistic Timelines