Question: The pictures below are of what I believe are young cherry trees. These were taken at Quincy Bog Natural Area …
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Question
The pictures below are of what I believe are young cherry trees. These were taken at Quincy Bog Natural Area in Rumney, NH. They are in the understory of a thinned out predominantly white pine forest. The question is whether they are Prunus serotina or P. pensylvanica? The red-brown of the bark suggests P. pensylvanica. Is there anything in these pictures that definitively identifies the species? These specimens are about 6' tall.
Answer
Dear gdewold, you have photographed Prunus serotina (black cherry). The leaf blade shape (elliptic) is different from Prunus pensylvanica (lanceolate). Next time you encounter this dilemma, examine the underside of the leaf, Prunus serotina has a line of white to rusty hairs along the midrib of the leaf, Prunus pensylvanica does not.
