Pin Cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica)

Form

Shrub or medium-sized tree; 20 to 30 feet in height; bearing rather ascending branches which form a narrow, rounded crown.

Bark

Thin, reddish-brown, breaking into papery layers; marked by large, irregular horizontal bands of orange lenticels.

Leaf

Alternate; length 3 to 4 inches; width about 1 inch; oblong; apex pointed; finely incurved teeth along edge; shiny green when fully grown.

Fruit

A drupe, about 1/4 inch in diameter; thick, reddish skin; thin sour flesh surrounding oblong seed, fruit borne on long-stalked clusters; ripens in middle or late summer.

Range

Distributed over the entire state, but is most common in the northern half on areas of previous forest fires, cut-overs, old fields and roadsides.

Wood

Light, soft, brownish with yellowish sapwood; has no special commercial value; tree is hardy; provides homes and feeding grounds for song birds.