Wild Cherry Uses

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zogger

zogger

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Well, it is considered a top tier premium cooking wood, same class as hickory, pecan, mesquite. Also, big clear clean logs, sells for beaucoup for lumber/veneer. Some decent furniture has been made from it for sure. It's pretty good firewood for heat, albeit can sometimes have a lot of crookedy to it or knots, depends on the tree.

It is enjoyable to cut and split from the smell, for me anyway.
 
hseII

hseII

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Awesome.

We've always heard to not eat the leaves/ berries, and to not let animals eat wild cherry.

It's good to know I can use it as I like
 
rarefish383

rarefish383

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It's the leaves and green bark you should not eat, it produces cyanide.

Plant Toxicities
Wild Cherry
(Prunussp.) - Wild cherry toxicosis can affect all animals, but ruminants are at the greatest risk. All parts of the plant are potentially toxic, however, damaged leaves of the plant are the most toxic. Clinical signs include anxiety, breathing difficulties, staggering, convulsions, collapse, and death. Signs usually develop rapidly. Wild Cherry contains cyanogenic precursors that release cyanide when leaves are damaged (maceration, frost, drought, wilting). As little as 2 ounces of ingested, damaged leaves can kill an animal. Blood from animals with cyanide toxicosis is often cherry-red because hemoglobin cannot release oxygen to tissue. Cell death occurs because cyanide binds to the ferric (+3) form of cytochromeoxidase, thus halting cellular respiration. Diagnosis is made by evidence of ingestion of the plant with appropriate clinical signs. Diagnosis is supported by analytical evidence of cyanide in forage and samples from affected animals. Samples for cyanide analysis should be frozen immediately and held frozen until analyzed. Death is frequently so rapid that treatment is not possible. However, if it is possible, treatment consists of sodium nitrite at 10-20 mg/kg with 500 mg/kg sodium thiosulfate as needed. The treatment is directed at breaking the cytochrome-cyanide bond with the nitrite forming cyanomethemoglobin. The thiosulfate then reacts with the cyanide via the enzyme rhodanase forming thiocyanate which is readily excreted in the urine. Other plants that can under the right conditions contain toxic concentrations of cyanide include sorghum/sudan grass and Johnson-grass.
 
hseII

hseII

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It's the leaves and green bark you should not eat, it produces cyanide.

Plant Toxicities
Wild Cherry
(Prunussp.) - Wild cherry toxicosis can affect all animals, but ruminants are at the greatest risk. All parts of the plant are potentially toxic, however, damaged leaves of the plant are the most toxic. Clinical signs include anxiety, breathing difficulties, staggering, convulsions, collapse, and death. Signs usually develop rapidly. Wild Cherry contains cyanogenic precursors that release cyanide when leaves are damaged (maceration, frost, drought, wilting). As little as 2 ounces of ingested, damaged leaves can kill an animal. Blood from animals with cyanide toxicosis is often cherry-red because hemoglobin cannot release oxygen to tissue. Cell death occurs because cyanide binds to the ferric (+3) form of cytochromeoxidase, thus halting cellular respiration. Diagnosis is made by evidence of ingestion of the plant with appropriate clinical signs. Diagnosis is supported by analytical evidence of cyanide in forage and samples from affected animals. Samples for cyanide analysis should be frozen immediately and held frozen until analyzed. Death is frequently so rapid that treatment is not possible. However, if it is possible, treatment consists of sodium nitrite at 10-20 mg/kg with 500 mg/kg sodium thiosulfate as needed. The treatment is directed at breaking the cytochrome-cyanide bond with the nitrite forming cyanomethemoglobin. The thiosulfate then reacts with the cyanide via the enzyme rhodanase forming thiocyanate which is readily excreted in the urine. Other plants that can under the right conditions contain toxic concentrations of cyanide include sorghum/sudan grass and Johnson-grass.

Thank you for explaining
 
dingeryote

dingeryote

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Grab a 1/4" stem off the branch of a young black cherry, and peel the bark off about 1/2" of one end, then chew it.
The fibers remain intact and after some chewing, it becomes flattened resembling a little broom. Then use the thing to sweep your teeth.
If it's too corse, chew on it a bit more.

Field expedient toothbrush. Cherry was preferred for the purpose back in the day before commercial brushes were available, as they have some sort of property that is anti-septic in nature.
It's one of those things ya learn from a Granny that was raised on a Rez.;)
 
zogger

zogger

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Grab a 1/4" stem off the branch of a young black cherry, and peel the bark off about 1/2" of one end, then chew it.
The fibers remain intact and after some chewing, it becomes flattened resembling a little broom. Then use the thing to sweep your teeth.
If it's too corse, chew on it a bit more.

Field expedient toothbrush. Cherry was preferred for the purpose back in the day before commercial brushes were available, as they have some sort of property that is anti-septic in nature.
It's one of those things ya learn from a Granny that was raised on a Rez.;)

I actually remember that trick from long ago, either the boy sprout manual or maybe the herter's guide manual.
 
zogger

zogger

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The herter's guide / hunting manual but I didn't think you were that old...

I bought a lot of stuff from the herters catalog. I'm 62 now. I bought archery stuff, made my own arrows with their gear, flyfishing stuff, taxidermy stuff, etc. when I was growing up that was my fav catalog. They had their own branded boats, guns, you name it. Plus all those pics of the herter kid and his blasted dead critters all over the planet.

The guide manual had some lame stuff in it though, the one that stands out in my memory is sticking your frostbitten feet in an ice hole in the lake.
 

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