Wild Cherry....edible?

[gypsymama]

The edge of the woods are filled with dark red cherries as well as yellow ones. Are they edible? So far, what I've read says they are, but I wanted first hand experience.
Are they good to make jelly out of?

Thanks

[MELOC]

does the tree have bark that is smooth but peeling, kinda like a birch tree? are the cherries a blush with both red and yellow colors or are they seperate trees?

[gypsymama]

They are separate trees, one with yellow fruit, one with red. The bark is cherry and the leaves on both trees are the same kind.

[insanity]

Don't take my word (alone) for it but around here the red ones about the size of your finger are eatable (least i haven't eaten enough to kill me yet) but i don't think the little pea sized ones are.Both trees look very similar but the size of the fruit is much different.Never seen a yellow one.Hum could they be immature fruit? Since there on a separate tree.

[Tabitha]

there are yellow cherries, no doubt, my husband used to make wine out of them, very good sherry. The starlings, thrushes etc never touched them, I think they were waiting for them to turn red.
I do not know of any poisonous cherries. we have some on the premisses that grow in a cluster like currants. the fruit is little, tedious, but tasty, and the birds get them.

[uncle Will in In.]

The foliage is toxic to livestock.

[MELOC]

there are a couple soft fleshed blush (yellow and red skinned) cherry trees in my neighborhood. i don't really know if they are native or not. i suspect they are just overgrown domestic cherries long forgotten.

[Gideon]

Uncle Will is absolutely correct about the leaves being poisonous to livestock. If you have a tree in or very near a pasture you need to fence around it. Heard somewhere that the pits have a very toxic property. Do not know this for a fact but would not take a chance. Gideon(06)

[gypsymama]

Thanks all, for your replies!

And thanks about the leaves being poisonous...didn't know that.