cherry or black cherry

[CodyWayne718]

How do y'all tell cherry and black cherry apart from one another? I really shouldn't be too worried about it since their both neck and neck on the btu chart but, I guess its part of the addiction wanting to know exactly what I have! Only thing I have to go by is the bark and it seems that it is both smooth like cherry and rough like black cherry. Any tips are much appreciated.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Need a picture. Black Cherry and Coke Cherry (some call it wild cherry) look quite a bit different, but burn pretty much the same. Black Cherry is easier to split and has a rough black bark, the other cherry is much smoother. At least that is my understanding. Great firewood, seasons quick, smells good.

 

[TreePointer]

There are lots of cherry tree species other than black cherry (Prunus serotina).

Depending on the season and species, it is possible to differentiate by bark, leaves, fruit, flowers, buds, height, profile, location, etc.

In my region, Prunus serotina often is one of the easiest trees to ID by bark and/or butt ends of logs.

(Hint: we love to look at pictures.)

 

[Wood Duck]

TreePointer is right. There is Black Cherry, and there are five or six other species which are all sort of similar. Black Cherry is the largest one, and the one that is a part of the 'forest' more than other species are. The others tend to grow in openings and along edges. Black Cherry has rough bark, the others have smoother, reddish bark with horizontal marks that make the bark look sort of like birch bark.

 

[CodyWayne718]

I'll get you fellas some pics up some time Thursday.

 

[Troutchaser]

Mature black cherry bark has the look of "burnt cornflakes".
If the tree in question is tall, I'd guess black or choke cherry. Not sure I could tell the difference at 8" diameter.

 

[CTYank]

How do y'all tell cherry and black cherry apart from one another? I really shouldn't be too worried about it since their both neck and neck on the btu chart but, I guess its part of the addiction wanting to know exactly what I have! Only thing I have to go by is the bark and it seems that it is both smooth like cherry and rough like black cherry. Any tips are much appreciated.

Anybody else notice this about black cherry-
the coals are much less likely to burn completely than for any other eastern hardwood.

Okay, north-eastern. Forgot about the exotic southerners for a sec there.

 

[thewoodlands]

Mature black cherry bark has the look of "burnt cornflakes".
If the tree in question is tall, I'd guess black or choke cherry. Not sure I could tell the difference at 8" diameter.

This is the cherry on our property, what type of cherry is this.


zap

 

[Wood Duck]

Zap,
That is Black Cherry, Prunus serotina. No other cherry gets that large in our area, plus the 'burnt cornflake' bark is distinctive.

 

[thewoodlands]

Zap,
That is Black Cherry, Prunus serotina. No other cherry gets that large in our area, plus the 'burnt cornflake' bark is distinctive.

Thanks Wood Duck, the one guy who use to cut on the property before we bought it called it choke cherry that is when I disagreed with him and he got pissed.


zap

 

[CodyWayne718]

See how in the 2nd pic how its cornflaked on one side and smooth on the other, its got me puzzled. :long:

 

[Wood Duck]

That doesn't look like the Black Cherry we have here, or anywhere else I have been. However, it is really big, and Black is the largest cherry, so I am confused. What color is the wood? In these pictures it looks washed out.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Basically the same stuff. Enjoy it.

 

[CodyWayne718]

It's redish, not as red as the sap that was in the middle of some of the rounds but it is redish. I know their pretty much the same when it comes to fire wood, I was jus wondering exactly what I had

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

That's a good score of black cherry..........

WoodButcher

 

[Stephen in SoKY]

That would be Black Cherry down here in Warren County. BTW, where did you find a Dolmar here in Kentucky?

 

[CodyWayne718]

That would be Black Cherry down here in Warren County. BTW, where did you find a Dolmar here in Kentucky?

Wrights Small Engine in Turner Station, KY. He's about 30 mins from me, I'm in Trimble County. Your a good ways away!

 

[Gary_602z]

Mature black cherry bark has the look of "burnt cornflakes".
If the tree in question is tall, I'd guess black or choke cherry. Not sure I could tell the difference at 8" diameter.

This is the cherry on our property, what type of cherry is this.


zap

zap that is actually the tree known as (woodburnus goodstuff) ! :cheese:

Gary

 

[thewoodlands]

Mature black cherry bark has the look of "burnt cornflakes".
If the tree in question is tall, I'd guess black or choke cherry. Not sure I could tell the difference at 8" diameter.

This is the cherry on our property, what type of cherry is this.


zap

zap that is actually the tree known as (woodburnus goodstuff) ! :cheese:

Gary

Just heading to put some cherry in.


zap

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Well the black cherry bark looks like black birch. Except it smells like crap whereas the black birch smells like wintergreen. For the same reasons, chewing on cherry twigs is nothing like chewing on a wintergreen flavored twig.

Matt

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Matt, sometime you should try chewing on apple and then chewing on thorn apple. You'll never be the same again!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Hawthorn? I had to walk through a patch of that crap a few weeks ago and considered myself lucky to only get stabbed once. I've never thought of chewing it. Is it another one of the fun to chew on twigs?

Matt

 

[DiscoInferno]

Anybody else notice this about black cherry-
the coals are much less likely to burn completely than for any other eastern hardwood.

Yes. It seems to need much more air than other wood of similar density, or else I get a pile of charcoal. I mostly avoid cherry now in favor of red maple.

On the subject of different cherry varieties - we have the standard black cherry everywhere around here, it mainly grows at the edges of parkland woods. Clearly cherry from the smell, albeit sort of sour. But twice, several years ago, I got my hands on cherry that seemed somewhat different: at least as large, but the bark was more like a purple paper birch, the wood color was a lot darker red/purple, and the smell was much sweeter, more of a classic "black cherry" scent. I don't know if it was a different species (prunus avium, aka wild or sweet cherry, perhaps?) or just different growing conditions, but I've never come across it again.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Could it have been ornamental?

Matt

 

[DiscoInferno]

No, it way too big/tall to be an ornamental. (Based on memory, the larger logs were 16-18" diameter and one of the trees must have been at least 50' tall.) I've had some oriental cherry also, and it was quite different. (Ornamental had lighter, grayer wood that was very stringy and had less scent.)