All animals may be affected. Damaged leaves pose the greatest risk.
All parts are potentially toxic.
This cherry may grow as a tree or shrub. The wild black cherry commonly grows in fence rows, roadside thickets, and rich open woods. The conditions of cyanide poisoning have also been discussed under Johnsongrass. Healthy cherry leaves contain prunasin, a cyanide precursor that in itself is non-toxic. Many plants, especially those in the rose family, have the potential to produce toxic levels of cyanide under certain conditions.