Twigs have thornlike spurs. When in bloom, the trees are a mass of white, highly fragrant flowers. May. The fruit is globular or rounded with thick, red to yellow skin that ripens in June or July. Early settlers of Ohio valued wild plums for jelly, plum butter, and preserves. Cherry Pin cherry is a small tree usually not more than 30 feet in height.
Branches are slender, smooth, brown to reddish in color, and glossy.
Pin cherry occurs sparsely in northern Ohio, usually following a disturbance such as clear cutting or fire. The tree is not shade-tolerant and does not persist in woodlands. Terminal buds are present. Twigs are glabrous, slender, reddish, and shiny. Buds are usually clustered at the ends of twigs in an oak-like fashion.