05/30/2026
Fresh medicine making season!! We were gifted several logs of Black Cherry Bark (Prunus serotina) at Miss Anne's Maypop Herb Shop
The other day we were gifted several logs from a fallen Black Cherry Tree also called Wild Black Cherry or Rum Cherry (Prunus serotina) and grows abundantly in Louisiana. It comes from the Rosaceae (rose) family.
The Cherokee name for Wild Cherry Bark is Te Ta Ya.
Locally, it’s referred to as “merisier” in Acadian French which is the traditional French name for cherry tree.
They were delivered within a 3-4 days after falling and still fresh. I set to work harvesting the inner bark with my machete and sharpest knives. The inner bark was still very moist when separated from cambium layer.
There’s something very satisfying about pulling long layers of tree bark from a tree.
Then chopped the bark into small chunks with our handy Vitamix to prepare it for tincturing and made 3 gallons jars of tincture!!
We’ll go ahead and press this cool brew sometime after the next full moon. The shop will have a nice stock of Wild Cherry Bark tincture medicine for our house blends and for you!!
Reach out if you want to order some!
Wild Cherry Bark supports a wide variety of ailments within Indigenous Herbalism. Including tonics, syrups, teas, ferments, and topical uses.
Wild Cherry Bark is excellent support for coughs and the respiratory system, we add the bark to our cough syrup and other respiratory support blends.
It has a both cooling and warming, as well, as drying energy.
It’s acts as an expectorant, antitussive, anti inflammatory, antibacterial, nervine, sedative, immunomodulator, astringent, sedative, antispasmodic, cardiotonic, bitter, and bronchodilator.
Its nourishing, tonifying and strengthening
Black Cherry wood is also great in the bbq smoker, from what I understand. I’m also looking forward to trying my hand at working with the logs for cooking and some hardwood crafting!
