Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 08:59:43 pm

Title: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 08:59:43 pm
This is t tree that I have driven by a thousand times and finally got some pics.  It gets small black berries in the summer.  Sorry no pics of live foliage.  Thanks.

Matt

(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/IdahoMatt1/image_zps0286a58b.jpg) (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/IdahoMatt1/media/image_zps0286a58b.jpg.html)

(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/IdahoMatt1/image_zpse2d44b59.jpg) (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/IdahoMatt1/media/image_zpse2d44b59.jpg.html)

(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/IdahoMatt1/image_zps39f97aa4.jpg) (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/IdahoMatt1/media/image_zps39f97aa4.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Hrothgar on February 13, 2014, 09:02:48 pm
Russian olive ?
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 09:08:43 pm
No Russian olives have a red bark with small leaves like a honey locust. They also have a greanish fruit.  We have a ton of Russian olive here.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Don Case on February 13, 2014, 09:14:35 pm
Hawthorn?
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 09:16:25 pm
No thorns :(
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: wapiti1997 on February 13, 2014, 09:33:45 pm
Looks like a hawthorn to me, crataegus, they can have reddish to black berries and will have spurs or thorns on the branches.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 09:46:56 pm
The leaves don't seem to match the hawthorn.  I am looking in my western trees book and the only thing that looks like the leaves are some sort of cherry.  The leaves are only about 1 to 2 inches long.  I'm totally stumped.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Scallorn on February 13, 2014, 09:50:34 pm
Fruitless pear. I have three in my yard
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Pat B on February 13, 2014, 10:14:32 pm
Serviceberry
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Gaust on February 13, 2014, 10:19:46 pm
Buckthorn? 
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: TRACY on February 13, 2014, 10:27:02 pm
Looks like a hawthorn to me, crataegus, they can have reddish to black berries and will have spurs or thorns on the branches.

+1
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: PatM on February 13, 2014, 10:49:09 pm
Hawthorn has thorns, often to a spectacular degree. The fruit is also like a tiny apple.
 Remember most of our domestic fruit trees arose from wild forebears  with thorns.  Not surprising since they are in the rose family.
 It's not going to be a fruitless pear with black berries....
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 10:50:40 pm
There are quite a few of these trees around where I live.  Only around the road not In the wild.  This was the biggest one I have seen. 
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Pat B on February 13, 2014, 11:48:19 pm
Can you get pics of the branch tips and a close up of the terminal bud?
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 13, 2014, 11:54:04 pm
Yes pat I'll try to get some tomorrow on my way to work.  The strange thing is I don't remember any flowers on these trees.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Pat B on February 14, 2014, 12:04:55 am
If it is serviceberry it will be one of the first to flower in the spring with small, star shaped white flowers.  The fruit is edible.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 12:22:21 am
Cool I will get the photos and remember that.  Regardless what it is I will take a few staves.  They are just too strait and tempting.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: kleinpm on February 14, 2014, 12:22:34 am
Looks like chokecherry to me.

Patrick
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 12:24:54 am
I thought it might be that too Patrick.  We have native choke cherry hear too this is a little different.  I will get to the bottom of this tree though  ::)
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on February 14, 2014, 12:29:43 am
Matt, my first impression was a sweet cherry that we have here around Appalachia  but the leaves looked different to me.  Sweet cherry has been cultivated in your area but I'm sure the serrations and veins don't match, but close, so I looked in one of my forestry books and I'm somewhat confident you have a sour cherry there.  While not native, they were cultivated  in your area, especially alongside roads and the drawing in the book looked very similar.  If it's not a cherry of some sort it may be in the plum family.  They can look similar.  Ohio Matt
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Pat B on February 14, 2014, 12:31:32 am
Looks like some arrow shoots in there too. Take a 3/8" open end wrench and a pair of hand pruners with you when you go.  ;)
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 12:38:44 am
Thanks Matt it's always a pleasure to meet another one.  I am curious to take a closer look when in bloom.  Going to ask some old timers and see if they know. 

Pat,  you read my mind. 
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: DavidV on February 14, 2014, 12:50:51 am
It definitely looks like cherry or plum to me so if you have a tree ID book or better yet dichotomous key look at prunus spp.

Can't think of a prunus species that won't make a bow.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on February 14, 2014, 12:55:53 am
Is there a chance you could snag one of the smaller pieces, say 2" or so and make a fresh clean cut on it so we can see the wood on the end?  I'm kind of a wood freak since I'm a log buyer and forester.  If I don't know what it is, I want to find out!
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 12:59:26 am
Most definitely I will get some to morrow.  Are you saying two inches in diameter?
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on February 14, 2014, 01:06:22 am
Sour cherry as defined by The Audubon Society Field Guide to N A Trees
Small, introduced fruit tree or thicket forming shrub.  Broad round crown, spreading and drooping branches with sour cherries.
Height- 30
Leaves -2-3 1/2"
Bark- gray, scaly, hairless
Flowers- 1" wide with 5 rounded white petals
Fruit- edible soft juicy sour 5/8-3/4"
Habitat- along roadsides, fences and borders of woods
Range- naturalized in se Canada and NW.

Also known as pie cherry
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on February 14, 2014, 01:08:46 am
Yeah Matt, something 2" or so should show us the heartwood color and sapwood.  That should be a clue at least.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 01:13:23 am
Will do.  It being valentines day tomorrow it will have to wait till Saturday.  I will however get the pics of the ends tomorrow.  This tree is at the end of my road.  I live in really rural south eastern Idaho.  This tree is very old to my knowledge.  In the meantime I will try to find out more.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on February 14, 2014, 01:23:21 am
Oh heck, it's valentines day here I guess.  Better run down to the gas station and pick up a classy silk rose for the wife!  Get some good pics of the fresh cut heartwood and maybe some close ups showing the growth rings. 
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 01:24:37 am
Ha will do.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 14, 2014, 01:55:18 am
I think choke cherry as well, with little bumps on the grey birch like bark
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 12:45:27 pm
Here are the buds Pat hope this works.

(http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/IdahoMatt1/image_zps88ec1a0c.jpg) (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/IdahoMatt1/media/image_zps88ec1a0c.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 14, 2014, 01:41:47 pm
Still going with choke cherry, have tons of it in my yard
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Pat B on February 14, 2014, 01:45:41 pm
Not serviceberry. Wrong shaped buds. The buds are the easiest, most accurate I.D. method in the winter.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 01:51:50 pm
Thanks blaflair and Pat.  I will go check out the known choke cheery trees in my area and compare. 
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Josh B on February 14, 2014, 03:20:21 pm
It looks like chokecherry to me Matt.  However, I am notoriously wrong on tree ID.  I am undoubtedly the worst person on this forum at id'ing trees.  So take my opinion with a grain of salt. Josh
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 14, 2014, 03:43:17 pm
Thank Josh grain taken :)
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: Stoker on February 14, 2014, 04:47:55 pm
Chokecherry.. Got lots of it on the prairies..Makes good smoked chicken
Thanks leroy
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: hammerstone on February 14, 2014, 07:53:50 pm
Pat are you sure about that? I used to live in Idaho and it sure looks like serviceberry to me .
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: rileyconcrete on February 14, 2014, 08:04:38 pm
that doesnt look like the chokecherry we have on my side of Idaho.  Looked at the pictures again.  looks like it has been around for awhile, maybe it is chokecherry.  the ones I see in the mountains here never really get that big. Tell
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on February 18, 2014, 02:08:08 am
Matt, just an idea but could you get a service forester out there or a forestry extension agent.  They can't be to busy this time of year and would probly like to get out of the office. Matt
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 18, 2014, 02:13:54 am
Not a bad idea.  I cut some this weekend.  I need to talk to my neighbor a little more.  I also cut some plum that was Patawatomi plum.  It looks quite similar but just a little different.  Maybe some kind of cherry.  I will get to the bottom of it though.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: PatM on February 18, 2014, 02:19:30 am
What does the wood smell like when cut? Cherry and Chokecherry smell very distinctive. I recall Serviceberry being much more neutral in smell.
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 18, 2014, 02:23:26 am
I did not notice a smell but didn't get up in there.  I know it's not chokecherry and pretty sure it's not service berry.  Someone around me knows I just have to make a few calls. 
Title: Re: Tree ID please
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 18, 2014, 11:28:31 am
I misunderstood my neighbor.  That is a Patawatomi plum.  I can finally sleep.  I got a couple of good pieces and some more of a wild plum.  I hope it works :).  I got some green gage plum just the other weekend.  Now I'm swimming in plum,  I guess that's a good place to swim ;)