During nature walks, I often describe the bark of the Black Cherry as looking like burnt cornflakes. After that, many walkers are quick to identify Black Cherry trees as we pass them.

The bark really does look like burnt cornflakes.

Black Cherry is a common tree of borders of fields and forests, almost anywhere that birds have deposited the seeds. It can be very scrubby in rocky ground or dry open savanna (such as High Park where many of these bark photos were taken). It can be a fine tree in deciduous forests or attain considerable size in rich hardwoods.

Young bark is smooth but, over time, obtains the burnt cornflakes look as these photos demonstrate:

Miles Hearn