Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Sidmand on February 20, 2014, 08:02:49 pm

Title: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Sidmand on February 20, 2014, 08:02:49 pm
I need some help id'ing this tree.  I think its a flowering plum or cherry, but I'm not sure.  I am sure I'm going to get some staves out of it, just want to know what kind.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: huisme on February 20, 2014, 08:40:50 pm
That's a cherry.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Pat B on February 20, 2014, 08:42:34 pm
Black cherry.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: huisme on February 20, 2014, 09:09:14 pm
Wasn't sure about that. Delicious >:D
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Sidmand on February 20, 2014, 09:13:04 pm
I thought that black cherry had a rough bark.  Granted, this isn't a very old tree, maybe that explains the bark?

Next question, any gotchas making a selfbow from cherry?
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: huisme on February 20, 2014, 09:50:44 pm
The bark looks all but identical to my dozen or so black cherries.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Crogacht on February 20, 2014, 11:26:00 pm
It's friday afternoon here, just got home from work and what a long week it's been.

I looked at that third photo of yours and thought... "well, it looks more like some kind of pine to me."

I think I'll go have a lie down :P
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: PatM on February 20, 2014, 11:33:56 pm
Black Cherry here seems to have the scaly bark from a very early stage.
 I would just guess that it is a Prunus of some sort.  ;)
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 20, 2014, 11:56:53 pm
Choke cherry, again. Black cherry has bark like a pine tree sorta. Real dark. It also looks like it has the little whitish bumps. Which is choke cherry.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 20, 2014, 11:59:08 pm
That's bark is grey it looks like, choke cherry bark almost looks like a birch bark. I have a bajillion of them around my yard on the hedge rows. Tough little mothers! Cleared a bunch of the last summer. All small
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 21, 2014, 12:02:52 am
Also from what I see that makes me think choke cherry is the bark almost looks horizontally wrapped around the tree not vertically. If u cut one u won't see heart wood. It's all basically the same. Light pinkish
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Pat B on February 21, 2014, 12:12:01 am
Check the flowers in the spring when it blooms.
 Any of the cherries should make a bow. The back will be right under the bark.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: PatM on February 21, 2014, 12:24:32 am
Be nice to know where this tree is actually growing and whether it was planted or naturally occurring. Lots of Prunus trees in the world. Lots.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Mohawk13 on February 21, 2014, 01:36:16 am
Looks like the Mountain Ash I have growing in My front yard,,,
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 21, 2014, 01:38:55 am
Is that some kind of yew behind it lining the driveway?
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: dbb on February 21, 2014, 07:58:14 am
Looks like the Mountain Ash I have growing in My front yard,,,
Its not mountain ash,the bark is similar but the leaves are wrong
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Carson (CMB) on February 21, 2014, 09:16:14 am
Leaves and bark look like prunus for sure.  Just going to be difficult to determine what species as it looks like a landscaping tree meaning it could be any number of horticultural varieties of any number of prunus species.  Should make a bow. 
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Sidmand on February 21, 2014, 09:52:07 am
This tree is growing on the side of a landscaped bank in my front yard, and I honestly don't know how it got there.  It's also in central Alabama.  I have 2 of them, this one is the larger of the 2, and due to some BS home association rules the fact that these trees are growing in a landscaped "common area" means they have to be cut.  If I have to cut the tree, I wanted to know what I could do with it, in particular if I could make a bow out of it.  This tree is about 5" or 6" in diameter at the base and about 20 feet tall, I can see at least 8 staves out of it so I will at least put it to good use.

I read somewhere that you should de-crown cherry and then back it with a light backing.  Think rawhide would do the trick here?  Honestly what I remember of cherry I would like to show the wood, but I don't want it blowing up on me either.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 21, 2014, 10:02:22 am
The first is choke cherry in my back yard

The second is black cherry I cut
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 21, 2014, 10:04:38 am
The choke cherry grows like a weed almost around here. I have like 100s of small saplings around my house
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: IdahoMatt on February 21, 2014, 10:43:26 am
Has anyone ever thought about a tree id section to PA.  it would be a very valued resource.  I am going to do a lot if research this summer on the local trees in my parts.  There are some orchards around here from the early 1900s and I want to know more. 
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blackcoyote on February 21, 2014, 11:44:07 am
awesome timing on this, I sent a similiar pic to a few guys on here asking for help to to id the tree..

I have a lot of growing at my parents place, it ranges in size from sapling to 8-10" dia.  Since i suck at tree id, i thought it was buckthorn, but with the size and no thorns i ruled that out. Based off pics i could find on the internet i thought it was wild black cherry..

I'll see if i can post my pic, no leaves they are under about 2' of snow!
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 21, 2014, 11:57:57 am
My second pic is black cherry. Though it has saw dust covering it.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Onebowonder on February 21, 2014, 03:14:52 pm
Looks like a choke cherry to me...

OneBow
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: okie64 on February 22, 2014, 10:19:48 am
Cant say ive ever seen a chokecherry in the wild but black cherry has bark like yours when it is young. As they get bigger and older you cam see the scaly bark start developing from the ground up. It usually starts getting the scaly bark when its about 8" diameter at the base. I have lots of them around my house so I'll try to post a pic of one in the transition stage later today.
Title: Re: need help id'ing this tree
Post by: Blaflair2 on February 22, 2014, 11:29:26 am
The black cherry I posted a pick of was a 4" tree.