Wild Cherry Uses and Plant Monograph

For Coughs

Historically, wild cherry bark (P. serotina) was the premier herb for quelling hot, excessive, dry spasmodic coughs. It is especially helpful for coughs that prevent someone from sleeping or for the persistent dry cough that lingers long after other symptoms of a cold or flu have abated.

While it certainly acts as an antitussive (something that quells the coughing reflex), wild cherry bark also addresses the excessive inflammation associated with this type of cough.

Wild cherry bark can be used on its own or formulated with other herbs for a more targeted approach. Demulcent herbs, like marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) or licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), can be used to further soothe and coat mucous membranes of the throat and bronchial passages. Stimulating expectorant herbs, like ginger (Zingiber officinale) or pine (Pinus spp.), can be added if more congestion is present.

Eclectic herbalists of the late nineteenth century thought highly of wild cherry bark and had specific indications (as well as contraindications) for its use. In his 1869 book, The Physio-medical Dispensatory, William Cook wrote, “The lungs are much acted on by [wild cherry]; and it is a superior article for irritable coughs, whether acute or chronic. Depressed and sluggish conditions of the system never call for its use.”¹

In 1922, Harvey Felter wrote about wild cherry’s effects on the nerves, mucosa, and the cardiovascular system: “Wild cherry is an excellent sedative and tonic, quieting irritation of the mucosa, terminal nerves, and lessening violent cardiac action dependent upon weakness. When a tonic and sedative is desired that will not unduly excite the circulation, wild cherry is a most useful drug.”²

Finley Ellingwood spoke about wild cherry’s specific indications for coughs, noting, “It is a common remedy in the treatment of chronic coughs, especially those accompanied with excessive expectoration. It is valuable in whooping-cough.”³

The 1898 King’s American Dispensatory noted many uses: “Wild cherry bark has a tonic and stimulating influence on the digestive apparatus, and a simultaneous sedative action on the nervous system and circulation. It is, therefore, valuable in all those cases where it is desirable to give tone and strength to the system, without, at the same time, causing too great an action of the heart and blood vessels, as during convalescence from pleurisy, pneumonia, acute hepatitis, and other inflammatory and febrile diseases.”⁴

Protects the Heart and Modulates Inflammation

While Western herbalists often look to hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) as an herb for the heart, wild cherry (P. serotina), which is related to hawthorn, shouldn’t be overlooked. As discussed earlier, cherry can modulate inflammation. Chronic inflammation is often an underlying cause of heart disease.

Finley Ellingwood writes, “Wild cherry is popular in the treatment of mild cases of palpitation, especially those of a functional character, or from reflex causes. Palpitation from disturbed conditions of the stomach is directly relieved by it.”⁵

Similar to the way they use its cousin peach (P. persica), herbalists reach for wild cherry (P. serotina) when there is an excessive immune system response, like seasonal allergies or flareups of autoimmune conditions.

Herbalist Thomas Easley shares, “While its primary organ affinity is the lungs, its actions extend to the mucosa in general, and to the liver. I’ve used it to sedate mucosal overactivity from allergies with consistent success. I’ve also used it to manage the symptoms of [autoimmune] Lupus flares when I was out of Peach twig/leaf (my preferred remedy) and reduce liver swelling in autoimmune hepatitis. If increased immune reactivity is an issue, consider wild cherry for symptomatic relief.”⁶

Supports Digestion

Wild cherry (P. serotina) often is not herbalists’ first choice when it comes to digestion, but there’s a strong case for it as the bitter and sour aspects of cherry’s flavor assist in supporting healthy digestion. Eclectic herbalists like William Cook and Finley Ellingwood praised its use for chronic gastritis and dyspepsia.

Acts as an Astringent

Chokecherry (P. virginiana) is a powerful astringent with many applications. The bark is used by many Native American tribes for diarrhea and for stopping wounds from bleeding. Herbalist Robert Rogers writes that “chokecherry gum resin [sap] was combined with scarlet mallow root tea and given after labor to stop postpartum hemorrhage by Arikara midwives.”⁷

Eclectic herbalist T. J. Lyle writes that it was used as a local and constitutional astringent for vaginal weakness and leucorrhea.⁸ Modern Western herbalist Peter Holmes recommends it as an astringent to heal ulcers and eye inflammations⁹

As Food

Wild cherry fruits range from overly astringent and sour to somewhat sweet. All cherry fruits are high in antioxidants associated with reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. In fact, chokecherry fruits have been shown to have high antioxidant levels compared to several other North American fruits. One in vitro study compared the antioxidant capacity of four fruits: strawberries, saskatoon berries, blueberries and chokecherries. Of all of the fruits, chokecherry had the highest level of antioxidants.¹⁰
Luckily, the fruits of many cherries are also tasty. Black cherry fruits can be made into a delicious liqueur, and chokecherries can be made into a delicious jam!

Plant Preparations

You can work with wild cherry fruit, bark, and even the leaves.

Wild cherry fruit is best harvested when completely ripe. They do not last long after harvest and are best preserved immediately. Before harvesting and deciding how to preserve them, be sure to give them a taste and make sure you want a lot of them. (Some wild cherries may not be delicious.) The whole fruits can be frozen or canned. And these whole fruits can also be dried, steam juiced (fresh or frozen for later use), and made into jams, preserves, liqueur, or wine.

Chokecherries have a more pronounced astringent taste and are often not eaten in the same quantities as their sweeter cousins. They can be made into jam, with the added sweetener and lemon juice helping to improve their taste. Native Americans have traditionally pounded the fruits (pits included), formed them into cakes, and then dried them. The trick to this process is getting the pits small enough that they are palatable for eating.

The bark and twigs can be harvested in the early spring and used fresh or dried. When correctly done, wild cherry trees can benefit from regenerative pruning.

Cherry bark can be made into cold infusions, decoctions, syrups, and tinctures. You know you have a potent remedy when you can smell the almond-like aromatic essence from the preparation.

When using the bark to address coughs, many herbalists prefer a cold infusion. Harvey Felter writes, “Wild cherry would be more valued if properly prepared. The cold infusion (sweetened, if desired) should be preferred; boiling temporarily destroys its value, and unless a good quality of bark, carefully preserved, is used, the syrup may have little value.”¹¹ The infusion can then be preserved with a sweetener like honey, sugar, or maple syrup as recommended by herbalist jim mcdonald.

A decoction of the dried bark is more astringent and less aromatic than the cold infusion and can be used as an external astringent wash for wounds.

Leaves should be harvested when they look vibrant and then dried completely before use in teas. The fresh leaves can be used as a poultice for wounds.

 

Dosage Suggestions

Dosage amounts vary. As always, start with small amounts and then slowly increase to find the desired dose.

 

 

Special Considerations

• Large amounts of fresh cherries will cause loose stools. This is easily remedied by eating fewer cherries in one sitting. If necessary, cherry bark tea can reduce excessive diarrhea.
• Due to concerns about cyanogenic glycosides, wilted cherry leaves should be avoided; use either very fresh or completely dried leaves.