In Montana a prescribed fire occurred on April 13, 1988. Bitter cherry sprouted from the root crown and a few seedlings were observed. The average prefire crown height and diameter were 8.4 feet and 1.6 feet, respectively. Seedling establishment was affected by fire severity. It was broadcast burned in October 1966.
Bitter cherry is a member of the seral brush community in northern Idaho.
These brushfields provide excellent habitat for elk. Bitter cherry is one of the dominant shrubs after fire, but grows out of reach of browsing animals within several years.