Wild cherries are among the most important wildlife food plants utilized by birds and small mammals. The wild black cherry is the most common in Virginia and can be found growing along fence and boundary lines of most schools. Cultivated cherries are also common on school campuses but are generally less valuable as a wildlife food.

The principal herbivore of cherry is the Eastern tent caterpillar, that feeds on the leaves as soon as they appear in the spring. This is the caterpillar that makes the familiar tent in the crotches of a tree. Many songbirds eat the fruit of cherries. As the fruit is digested, the stone, or seed, passes through and remains viable. When the bird excretes its waste, the seed is deposited and fertilized at the same time. Black cherry trees are typically dispersed this way and are found growing along fencerows because this is where songbirds often perch and excrete wastes.