Bitter cherry

 

One of the last wild fruits of summer is the native bitter cherry. The fruits are small, about a quarter of an inch, and a very bright, shiny red. They have the unmistakable taste of cherry, but they’re not called “bitter” for nothing and easily half the fruit is seed. The bitter cherry leaves are among the first to take on the yellow gold of autumn and are quickly starting to pave trails in the Dungeness Recreation Area.