Wild Red Cherry 



499 



The fruit of the Sweet cherry in the wild state is small, its flesh thin, dry and 

 unpalatable and of Uttle use except as food for birds. The cultivated forms 

 originating from this species are very numerous. 



The wood is strong, rather soft, close-grained, yellowish red and takes a very 

 fine pohsh; its specific gravity is about 0.88. It is largely used for fine furniture, 

 inside finishing, and also for musical and other instruments. 



15. WILD RED CHERRY — Prunus pennsylvanica Linnaeus fils 



Also called Bird, Pigeon, or Pin cherry, this tree grows in open woods and 

 clearings from Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Georgia, Tennessee 

 and Colorado. Its maximum height is 

 about 12 meters, with a trunk diameter of 

 4 dm. 



The bark is i to 1.5 mm. thick, readily 

 peeling oflf in thin red-brown layers; the 

 twigs are smooth, becoming bright red, shin- 

 ing, with a few yellow lenticels; the leaves 

 are thin, oblong, lanceolate, to nearly oval, 

 8 to 15 cm. long, taper-pointed, tapering or 

 rounded at the base, doubly toothed, bright 

 green and shining above, paler beneath. 

 The flowers, appearing with the leaves from 

 April to June, are about 1.5 cm. across, in 

 clusters of short-stalked, 4- or s-flowered 

 corymbs, on slender pedicels 1.5 to 3 cm. 

 long; the calyx- tube is obconic and smooth, 

 its lobes oblong, red-margined, and blunt; 

 the petals are white, broadly obovate; the 

 stamens and pistil are smooth. The fruit is globose, 5 to 7 mm. in diameter, bright 

 red, smooth, the skin thick, the flesh thin and sour; stone globose or slightly elon- 

 gated, slightly ridged on one edge. 



The wood is soft, close-grained, light brown; its specific gravity is about 0.50. 



As a natural reforestering agent this cherry is one of the most valuable in the 

 eastern portion of the continent. Growing rapidly and thickly upon the bare soil 

 after destructive forest fires, it forms exclusive forests in a few years, and by its 

 short life soon makes way for other trees whose seedlings it had protected. As 

 an ornamental tree its fine form, profusion of early bloom, and abundance of 

 showy fruit, useful as food for birds, make it desirable; its short life, however, is 

 against its general use for lawn or park planting. 



Fig. 459. — Wild Red Cherry. 



