Janet you are absolutely AMAZING!!!!!! And I am so happy that Dave & Jim agree because when I don't know a plant I sure as heck like to have 2 to 3 solid agreements as to what it is besides myself before I go putting it in the database.
That bark is a sure tell tale sign. It seems everything fits for it.
We are going to the property this week & I want to crush the leaves & smell them as well as scratch a twig for the almond scent just to make sure of this before I call it a done deal since I have not seen it flower or fruit. I know you guys understand. I fully expect it to be confirmed.
From Wiki:
A mature black cherry can easily be identified in a forest by its very broken, dark grey to black bark, which has the appearance of very thick, burnt potato chips. However, for about the first decade or so of its life, the bark resembles that of a birch, and is thin and striped. It can also quickly be identified by its long, shiny leaves resembling that of a sourwood, and by an almond-like odor when a young twig is scratched and held close to the nose.
And this from:
http://www.floridata.com/ref/p... I actually read this entire article in 2002 in some magazine & have remembered it ever since. Funny that this comes up now. And that I mentioned the horses eating it. I will have to warn the horse owner of this.
The cyanide compounds in the twigs and older, wilted leaves are toxic (and possibly lethal) to horses and cattle.
In the spring of 2001 hundreds of thoroughbred horse foals where mysteriously miscarried or stillborn. The problem was traced to Eastern Tent Caterpillars that had fed on the many black cherry trees in the Lexington, Kentucky horse farm region. The caterpillars concentrated the toxic cyanide compounds present in black cherry foliage. Their feces contaminated the famous bluegrass pastures and was ingested by the grazing mares.
