# Chokecherry??



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

DH and DS were out int eh woods at the range looking for pipestone wood for BSA camp. DH was rather excited when he got home telling me he found a cherry tree. He took me back out and I can tell it's not "cherry" as the fruit it much too small. I snagged a branch and took pictures. The tree fits the characteristics I see online and in my book.....but I like verification from humans, especially where food is concerned.


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Definitely not chokeberry. Looks like pincherry.


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Beats me, but if I had found it, I would have tried eating one... They look pretty tasty... Cherry of some sort, and I've never met a bad cherry.. Even if it is choke cherry, they are edible..


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Thanks CF, I'll look into pincherries.

SS - I smooshed a bright red one. It didn't have any scent at all, but did have a pit like a cherry. I assume they aren't ripe yet.


----------



## Saffron (May 24, 2006)

Looks like a wild cherry to me. Around here when they are ripe they are med-dark red.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I don't think it's pincherry. The description of the bark color is "wrong". The bark is the traditional gray....no red at all. All the wild cherries in my book imply the berries will be black/purple when ripe. I'm wondering if it's just a red variety....

Tree is "short" 15-20' tall. Thin trunk....so all these thoughts are on target on those aspects. Everything if could be seems to be edible....so I may break down and try one.


----------



## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

If you are for sure it is a cherry and not a poisonous plant, the sure way to find out if it is a chokecherry is to taste it - you will know in a hurry as its bitter taste will be very obvious. My mom used to make choke-cherry jam - we all hated it! Are the birds eating them? If not, then you might not want to even try tasting. 

Our choke cherries ripened to a nearly black color.


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

MichaelZ said:


> If you are for sure it is a cherry and not a poisonous plant, the sure way to find out if it is a chokecherry is to taste it - you will know in a hurry as its bitter taste will be very obvious. My mom used to make choke-cherry jam - we all hated it! Are the birds eating them? If not, then you might not want to even try tasting.
> 
> Our choke cherries ripened to a nearly black color.


 Really?!?!! My wife makes chokecherry jelly and syrup and it's my #1 favorite jelly!


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Ohio dreamer said:


> I don't think it's pincherry. The description of the bark color is "wrong". The bark is the traditional gray....no red at all. All the wild cherries in my book imply the berries will be black/purple when ripe. I'm wondering if it's just a red variety....
> 
> Tree is "short" 15-20' tall. Thin trunk....so all these thoughts are on target on those aspects. Everything if could be seems to be edible....so I may break down and try one.


 Well....hummmmm....it is likely wild crabapple then.


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I thought crabapple maybe, but I've not seen them yellow like that, and I didn't see a flower end on the berry.. . I also haven't seen veins that close and that many on a crabapple.. But it could be..


----------



## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

If you break a twig, you can't mistake the smell of cherrywood.


----------



## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I'm not familiar with wild crab apple...maybe they are different, but it's nothing like a "domestic" crab apple. The fruit looks and feels like a cherry. Soft "fruit" with a cherry pit in the middle.

Not sure if birds are eating it. It's back in the woods, not a tree that can be seen from the shooting ranges. So I've only seen in for a few minutes, twice. Walking in there would scare off all birds.....and I'm not willing to take the time to hike in, sit and stalk it long enough to see the bird's opinions of the tree. I mentioned in the OP that is was an accidental find. I did look around about a 30 foot radius, I didn't see any more trees like this one. The tree is small and doesn't have that many reachable fruits hanging down. I may put on jeans, boots and grab a machete and go woods walking later this week to see if there are any more trees back there (I'm going to go back to harvest wild blackberries anyways). If this is the only one I'll just let if be....not enough on it to bother harvesting for all the work involved. But I still want to know what it is. Never know when I may run into a "bunch" of them in the future.

I'll try twig breaking a fresh piece when I go back. I can't think of what cherry wood smells like off the top of my head, but will likely recognize it if I smell it. Never thought of doing that before


----------



## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Prunus cerasus (sour cherry)? I've never seen a true wild cherry with fruit that large. But, I'm only familiar with Black, and Choke Cherries.


----------



## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Cabin Fever said:


> Really?!?!! My wife makes chokecherry jelly and syrup and it's my #1 favorite jelly!


Yes, we hated it. It was slightly bitter. These were small black chokecherries that were not too tasty right off the tree. Perhaps yours are different or you have a way of making it good. All the other jams and jellies my mom made were great.


----------



## Quercus21 (Nov 25, 2009)

This looks like a sour cherry of some verity. Is there a orchard around the location? Was the bark flaky or smooth but peeling like a birch?


----------



## smilodonfatalis (Aug 2, 2013)

I think it is a cherry, but not a native American cherry. Looks like one that has escaped from a cultivated orchard.

Birds often eat orchard cherries and spread the fruit in their droppings.

Should be good to eat.


----------

