Question: We noticed this tree/shrub on the edge of the Joppa Flats Ed Center property in Newburyport. It looked similar to …
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Question
We noticed this tree/shrub on the edge of the Joppa Flats Ed Center property in Newburyport. It looked similar to cherries, except the venation of the leaves seemed different. We wonder if it might be some volunteer invasive exotic.
Answer
Dear chaffeemonell, without seeing this shrub "in person", I can't be confident; however, it does look like a member of the genus Prunus (plum, cherry). The petioles have a pair of extrafloral nectaries (i.e., glands), just like in our native cherries. Best wishes.
