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Botanical illustration of Wild Cherry
MedicinalSourced entry

Wild Cherry

Prunus serotina

Black cherry (capulín), a North American tree used in Mexican folk medicine for cough, high blood pressure and digestive problems. Its seeds and leaves contain compounds that can release cyanide.

What is Wild Cherry?

Plant family
Rosaceae, the rose family
Parts used
The leaves and seeds
Where it grows
Native to North America; introduced into Europe, where it has become invasive
Genus
Prunus
Species
serotina

Also called

Black Cherry, Wild Black Cherry

Regional names

Capulín, Capulin

Traditionally used for

  • Cough (traditional)
  • Digestion (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Traditionally used for cough

Health topics

Where Wild Cherry appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

  • Cough

    Traditionally used for cough in Mexico. It hasn't been studied in people, and its seeds and leaves can release cyanide.

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • Wild cherry leaves contain amygdalin and prunasin, natural compounds that can release cyanide, a poison.[1]

  • The seeds of ripening black cherries build up amygdalin and release hydrogen cyanide when they are crushed or chewed. The ripe fruit flesh doesn't release cyanide.[2]

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • In Mexican traditional medicine, black cherry (capulín) is used for heart, breathing and digestive problems. Its seeds, eaten as snacks in Mexico, are used for cough.[3]

  • Capulín is sold and used in folk medicine for high blood pressure, digestive illnesses and cough, most often as an infusion (tea) of the leaves.[4]

In short

Seeds and leaves contain compounds that release cyanide when crushed.

Sources

  1. [1] Quantitative analysis of amygdalin and prunasin in Prunus serotina Ehrh. using 1H-NMR spectroscopy — Phytochemical Analysis · DOI: 10.1002/pca.2476Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Development of the Potential for Cyanogenesis in Maturing Black Cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) Fruits — Plant Physiology · DOI: 10.1104/pp.98.4.1423Peer-reviewed study
  3. [3] Nutritional value and volatile compounds of black cherry (Prunus serotina) seeds — Molecules · DOI: 10.3390/molecules20023479Peer-reviewed study
  4. [4] Simultaneous quantification by HPLC of the phenolic compounds for the crude drug of Prunus serotina subsp. capuli — Pharmaceutical Biology · DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2013.876054Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.