Tiny plum-like fruit?

[lil_miss_understood]

About the size of a cherry, pitted, very dark fruit. Sweet. Found them growing in my yard (Pacific coast of Oregon). No idea what they are. I haven't eaten any of them, just licked one.
Anyone have any idea what they might be?

[Contrariety]

Pics?

[lil_miss_understood]

I'll try to get them up as soon as DH gets home to tell me where the cable is to download pics from the camera.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

Are you sure they aren't cherries? Aren't they in season now in your neck of the woods? They can grow on both bushes (ground cherries) & trees...

[lil_miss_understood]

No, I'm not sure they're not cherries. They don't have a stem like a cherry.
I've uploaded photos of them to my blog.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

look like chokecherries, a native ground cherry...
http://images.google.com/images?q=na...N&hl=en&tab=wi

[2xy]

My mother has fond memories of chokecherry jam that someone in our family used to make when she was a kid. I've never had it, nor have I seen a real chokecherry (I didn't grow up in the same part of the country that my mom did). I've always wanted to taste one.

[lil_miss_understood]

Nope. Not chokecherries. I grew up with those... These are bigger. Chokecherries are tiny tiny tiny and the flesh clings to the pit more. The flesh of these comes away nicely, like a plum... Beneath the dark skin, the flesh is light colored like a plum as well.
I gave in and ate one but it didn't really taste like much. I'm wondering if it's some kind of native plum?

[Eben'sMama]

We have an ornamental plum tree in our yard and the fruit is exactly like what you're describing. My kids love to eat them.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by Eben'sMama

We have an ornamental plum tree in our yard and the fruit is exactly like what you're describing. My kids love to eat them.

That must be it, then. We have an ornamental cherry which I knew about but this is growing back in the middle of the yard in bushes. It's still a very small bush, so I'm guessing it's a volunteer since the previous owner said she never planted anything back there.

[JessicaS]

Are they elderberries??


http://www.bomengids.nl/uk/soorten/G...lderberry.html

[cristeen]

Possibly Beach Plums?

[Naturalyst]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Possibly Beach Plums?

That was my guess too. Beach Plums grow wild here and are delicious. They are native to the Northeast, but the plants are available through nurseries and, so, people have been planting them all over the country.

Wild, they grow in sand dunes and grow to around 4' tall. If planted inland, they can ge much bigger.

You'll see in the pictures at the site I've linked below, that your plant and fruit seem to be beach plums:

http://www.beachplum.cornell.edu/upd...ml#2005cornell