Can anybody ID this tree for me?

[archerynut]

Definitely cherry. I have them all over my property here in PA. We call them black cherry here, but that doesn't mean it's the right definition.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I cut a lot of them for firewood years back. It's cherry, most likely black cherry, but possibly a pin cherry--can't recall exactly what the differences were--it's been a long time since I was into firewood.

 

[ptgdigger]

Black Cherry, very common in western PA , brought good money too until the whole hardwood market took a dump a few years ago. You're fixin to see them fruit this year , those pods wills mature into small dark purple berries that stain anything they land on, when the birds are feeding on black cherries here they drop purple "bombs" that are much worse than their normal bombs.

Ray

 

[JDgreen227]

Black Cherry, very common in western PA , brought good money too until the whole hardwood market took a dump a few years ago. You're fixin to see them fruit this year , those pods wills mature into small dark purple berries that stain anything they land on, when the birds are feeding on black cherries here they drop purple "bombs" that are much worse than their normal bombs.

Ray

If it does indeed produce fruit that will be the first time in 23 years because I have never seen fruit on it before. There are no other cherry trees within at least half a mile if that close. It has to pollinate to produce fruit.

 

[magicheater]

My vote is for Choke Cherry, looks very similar to a few I have in the yard. The Pileated Woodpeckers love the fruit too.

 

[mjw357]

I cut a lot of them for firewood years back. It's cherry, most likely black cherry, but possibly a pin cherry--can't recall exactly what the differences were--it's been a long time since I was into firewood.

Not a pin cherry. The flowers on a pin cherry grow in umbrella shaped groups..

 

[ptgdigger]

If it does indeed produce fruit that will be the first time in 23 years because I have never seen fruit on it before. There are no other cherry trees within at least half a mile if that close. It has to pollinate to produce fruit.

Self pollination is possible , which will give fruit but the resulting seeds will be sterile.

Ray

 

[JDgreen227]

MSU Forestry finally responded to my email and pictures and they tell me the tree has to be a wild black cherry, but they are confused because the leaf undersides are hairless. They also said these trees rarely self-pollinate which explains why I have never seen fruit.

THANKS TO ALL !!

 

[missingstexas]

Well then, plant yourself another so you can experience the whole 'Cherry Bomb' thing... ;-)

 

[DwightD123]

Congratulations! You are the owner of a lonely Black Cherry tree. Makes wonderful veneer. It has been an informative thread. The crazy thing is how much of this knowledge our grandparents knew off the top of their head and how many things have been forgotten.