Choke Cherry Tree? Updated Photos.

[ShellieESterling]

No I don't have a horse, but was considering getting a pony for the kids in a few years. I guess I'd have to use the goat pen on the other side of the house for it though. That's all tall oaks and maples.

Pardon my ignorance, but how do cherry leaves effect horses?

 

[beefy]

it looks like it may be Prunus serotina from the pics that opened for me (on dialup). Black Cherry will have smooth bark when young and very rough bark when older. the cherries are tiny (which threw me off b/c it looks like your cherries are larger but i think its just a scale thing). Black cherry leaves in the wilted stage are toxic to all species of livestock.

 

[karanleaf]

No need that is not ignorance. My grandmother alsways told me don't be afraid to ask questions, thats the only way to get the answer
I too questioned this when I was told so I had to research it to verify also. As I tell my 4H horse project group I am still learning along with you. You are never too old to learn..

A friend told me of a horse died from eating the wilted leaves. They seem to be poisonous for only a small period of time; the leaves or branches have to drop or break of the tree -say from a wind storm- and then wilt. That is when their sap turns to Cyanide and this last for about 24 hours. But after they have 'died' they are no longer poisonous.

Quote from :
Ohio State University Extenision Horse Nutriton Bulletin
WILD BLACK CHERRY, CHOKE CHERRY, AND PEACH (Prunus spp.) Many species of cherry and peach are poisonous. These species are characterized by alternate toothed leaves, white or pink flowers, and fleshy fruits (cherries or peaches). Crushed twigs and leaves yield a strong cyanide odor. Two native species of cherry are common in Ohio. Wild black cherry (P. serotina) is a large tree that is distributed widely throughout the state in woodlands, old fields, and along fence rows. Choke cherry (P. virginiana) grows as a large shrub or small tree and is scattered throughout Ohio in a variety of habitats, though it is more frequent northward. Peach (P. persica) is a small introduced tree that occasionally escapes from orchard cultivation through seed.

Seeds, twigs, bark, and leaves contain a glycoside (amygdalin) that quickly breaks down by hydrolysis (from bruising, wilting, frost damage) to form the highly toxic compound hydrocyanic (prussic) acid (or cyanide). Poisonings occur most frequently when wilted leaves are eaten, but have also been reported when leaves are consumed directly from the tree, or sprouts, or in dried hay. The amount of hydrocyanic acid formed once the plant material is ingested is affected by the type of stomach juices and the kind of feed the animal had previously consumed. Ruminant animals appear to be more susceptible to poisoning than horses.

Cyanide poisoning results in hypoxia (deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues). The first symptoms appear within a few minutes following consumption of plant material. Affected animals exhibit excitement, incoordination, convulsions, rapid and labored breathing, bloating, and coma. Death can occur in less than an hour due to internal asphyxiation.

I am glad I can actually have knowledge of something useful to pass along :bee

Also check for the kind of maple trees in your other lot sugar & red can be a problem too if they eat the leaves.

 

[beefy]

i forgot to mention that if its black cherry (or probably any cherry) all you have to do is scrape the bark of a twig and smell it and it should smell like ...cherry.

 

[Rosalind]

Most definitely a chokecherry. I just took one down that was about that size. You want to watch them for fungus, they are susceptible to Black Knot disease. This is very dangerous in that if you have a chokecherry with Black Knot and you happen to be working in the garden, and a big gust of wind blows across your yard, you could have surprisingly large branches raining down on your head.

Black knot disease is pretty easy to see, though. Lotsa dead branches, the bark gets all green and nasty, etc.

If you have to take one down, the wood chips go really nicely in a smoker. Just like any cherry hardwood.

 

[blurose]

I may be really out in left field here but did you take a leaf, crush it in your hand and smell it? It looks like the wild california laurel trees that grow around here, and they do produce little berries. Maybe it is another species but related to this:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbellularia

I tried to post a pic but I can't seem to manage it.

 

[patandchickens]

creative guess, but nothing like that grows in PA


Pat

 

[ShellieESterling]

Here's an updated photo of what the fruits look like. Are we still set on choke cherry? And what the heck do I do with all of them now? I've got at least a dozen... or more here...

 

[Rosalind]

Yep, chokecherry.

Syrup recipe
Good on waffles, pancakes, in tea or mixed with ginger ale.

 

[ShellieESterling]

Oooh thanks

... wait, when are they ripe? LOL