Black Cherry

FredL

Something has been bothering me for weeks:

Awhile back somebody commented that he'd about given up on trying to create a Bonsai from a Wild Black Cherrry (Prunus serotina). I have 3 or 4 of these which I've been growing, one in a grow box; two or thee in my grow beds. I don't have a huge amount of effort invested in them, but all seemed to be developing nicely. Does anybody out there have any experience with this species? Could you share your experience?

Fred

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BonsaiMon

Hi Fred .. I haven't been seriously growing these three cherries
(here in Va they call them choke cherry) for more than 4 years ..
originally hopeing they were crab apple seedlings. They were plucked one spring from under a crab apple but the foilage didn't quite look the same .. There is a large 2'+ diameter choke cherry nearby and seedlings galore... I've been clippin them back hard each year to get movement in the trunks ,, now i think i'll stick them in the ground and watch them get bigger. They produce a sprig of flowers about 6" long so I think I'll need larger trunks 4-6 ".. the foilage seems to reduce .. prolific rooters .. no apparent pest. Not sure why we don’t see more of them. Mature trees have beautiful bark, flowers and small pea size cherries. I don’t know maybe someone else here, can enlighten us more on this North American native ?

Attached Images

choke cherries.jpg (64.1 KB, 66 views)

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peace,
tom stoute

http://bonsaiinsights.spaces.live.com/