What kind of tree is this? - Ask Extension
I have two trees on my property where the bark looks completely different than each other. One is smooth and one is rough. However, the leaves and ber...
Knowledgebase
What kind of tree is this? #843413
Asked July 31, 2023, 10:48 AM EDT
I have two trees on my property where the bark looks completely different than each other. One is smooth and one is rough. However, the leaves and berries of both trees look identical. Could this be the same type of tree?
Muskegon County Michigan
Expert Response
Hi Nancy,
Based on your photos, it looks like you have a group of Prunus viginiana, commonly known as choke cherry. The cherries are "edible" but no one wants to eat them--they are so astringent that your whole mouth puckers. It is a native plant and valuable to insects and other wildlife.
Here is a link to more information about choke cherry in Michigan.
If you are 100% sure that you pulled leaves and fruit from all three trees, it is possible that slight genetic variation or growing conditions is causing one tree to have different bark.
Lindsey K. Kerr, MS, MHP (she, her, hers)
Consumer Horticulture Educator
Michigan State University Extension
