ILLINOIS TREES: SELECTION. PLANTING. AND CARE 



49 



dery mildew and leaf spots, but usually very little noticeable 

 injury results. They are more subject to damage caused by 

 Verticillium wilt, a fungus disease. The light brown, coarse- 

 grained wood of catalpa is light and soft. It is used mostly for 

 lough work and occasionally for furniture and the interiors of 

 houses. Catalpa for fence posts has been greatly overrated. 



Cherry 



Chokecherry {Prunus virginiana) and wild black cherry (P. 

 serotina) are native to Illinois. Chokecherry occurs in the north- 

 ern half and wild black cherry occurs throughout the state. 

 Chokecherry is a small tree which grows 20-30 feet high. 



Wild black cherry (Fig. 50) sometimes reaches a height of 

 80-90 feet. It has a narrow crown with small, horizontal 

 branches, and is suitable for street and lawn plantings. The 

 alternate, sharply toothed, dark green, firm leaves (Fig. 50 inset), 

 2-6 inches long and slightly over an inch wide, are shiny above 

 and dull beneath. The perfect, white flowers are produced in 

 4- to 6-inch-long clusters. The hard, pitted cherries, which meas- 

 ure about one-third inch in diameter, are dark red to almost black 



Fig. 50.— Wild black 

 cherry, with its sharply 

 toothed, leathery leaves 

 (inset), is suitable as 

 an occasional tree in 

 street and lawn plant- 

 ings. 



