are all cherry trees edible?

[Scottishnewbie]

we have a couple of cherry trees in our garden and this is the first year since we've been here (3 years) that they've produced anything in the way of meaningful quantities - birds have had them every other year.

one of them is deffo for eating and i've made some nice cherry and white currant jelly.

one of the others has masses of cherries but they are tiny and black. i'm wondering if they are safe to eat? any ideas?

if all cherries are edible then nothing to worry about but i just wastn sure.
thanks
laura

[Jeanied]

There are a few inedible varieties of cherry - cherry laurel and the Japanese cherry. I think it would be a good idea to get an identification of your black cherry tree before risking it. Google 'inedible cherries' and there is quite a bit of info on the inedible varieties.

[snohare]

Unless specifically from a cultivar grown for eating, then usually cherries from a wild species are only edible to birds - although I believe survivalist types may know of arcane ways to process some into sauces etc.
It's not so much that they are actually poisonous, just very tart and tiny - not juicy and tasty.
I think there are a good few centuries of breeding/evolution between the wild originals and what you buy in the garden centres !