The Black Cherry is 93 feet tall, with an average crown spread of 60 feet and a circumference of 160 inches inches (13.3 ft.). It scores: 270.65. It was measured by Justin Vozzo (U of I Extension Specialist in Forestry, ISA Certified Arborist #IL-9946A) in November 2025 and is potentially the new State Champion, pending remeasurement of the current Illinois State Champion Black Cherry located in Tazewell County.
The February Tree of the Month was nominated by Mike Groves, Natural Resources Manager, Forest Preserves of Winnebago County. Groves grew up on the farm that is now Funderburg Forest Preserve. He said, “I always thought it was one of the biggest black cherries I had ever seen. It was in the old cow pasture where dad would always pasture dry cows and breed heifers there in the summer months. We had some fun cow round ups there in the fall.”
Black Cherry is a popular flavor for ice cream, soda and other sweets but that is not from this locally native tree (it’s from dark-fruited forms of the sweet or ‘Bing’ cherry). “This cherry does have small, almost black cherries with a very rich flavor – it should be made into a beverage and used more often in my opinion” said Alan Branhagen, Executive Director of NLI. “Black Cherry did play a role in the history of our Rockford region: its timber is valuable and yes, this is the fine cherry wood so desired for its rich color. The tree was an important part of Rockford’s former bustling furniture industry and the tree grows quite large locally. It’s only fitting that this new Legacy Tree is the pending new Illinois State Champion!”
Black Cherry is a tree that is very high in wildlife value in the landscape. It blooms in mid-spring with strings of white flowers that give the tree the appearance of being draped in white lace. The flowers form strings of small cherries that start green then turn red before ripening almost black when they are finally edible. Branhagen said, “I always grab a handful of fruits to savor when I pass them on late summer hikes.” The fruits are relished by a long list of birds and mammals which spread the tree far and wide. Oddly, the tree is not easy to transplant but it certainly thrives where a bird plants its seed. NLI and many local land managers now consider it “overstocked” as our woodlands now have too many young Black Cherries.
The foliage of Black Cherry is host to many species of insects – another reason why this tree is so valuable for the web of life as the caterpillars that feast on the tree including Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Promethea Moths go on to feed many baby birds before they fledge. The trees often have webbing of tent caterpillars in early summer and webworms in the fall (both moth species) – but these little armies of hairy caterpillars are important food for Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos.
Black Cherry also has some of the finest fall color: from shades of yellow and apricot to orange and reds it can be a stunner in the fall. After the leaves drop, the older trunks have flaky bark to varying degrees which make it easy to identify. Naturalists often call it the potato chip tree because it looks like someone stuck burnt potato chips all over it. The wood is valuable and not just for lumber but also for smoking and flavoring meats – try it on your next barbecue!
“Our legacy tree is in its final stage of life – it seems a miracle that the 2024 derecho that ripped down neighboring young Black Cherries spared this old and hollow tree. I recommend reading Robert Hillyer’s poem “A Pastoral” as it is a tribute to those who love trees and reminds us to value them when others think they are past their usefulness” said Branhagen. “When Justin Vozzo, who manages Illinois’ champion tree program for Illinois Extension visited the tree with us to verify its measurements and status, I really enjoyed his looks of wonder and reverence as he assessed the great tree.”
Branhagen asked Vozzo to share his thoughts about this Black Cherry. He said, “What struck me most about this tree, despite its impressive size and apparent age, is the vitality of the remaining canopy and this tree’s determination to continue on in the face of all the challenges it has been confronted with.” Vozzo continues, “In a sense, the tree is losing large and structurally precarious limbs while rebalancing its energy needs with smaller but vigorously growing younger tissues of the secondary canopy.”
Natural Land Institute launched the Legacy Tree Program in January 2024. Anyone may nominate a tree on private or public land from NLI’s 12 county region. To see monthly stories, for more information and a nomination form visit: https://www.naturalland.org/nlis-legacy-tree-program-january/. NLI, an accredited land trust, is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit land conservation organization based in Rockford, IL and has protected 19,000 acres of natural land in Illinois since 1958. NLI’s mission is to create an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants and animals. For more information and to donate visit: www.NaturalLand.org.
