Click on the images help you identify a pin cherry.
Form
Small, reaching heights of up to 30 feet with a trunk diameter of up to 8 inches. Rounded crown.
Bark
Bark is reddish brown, breaking into papery layers. Marked by irregular, horizontal bands of orange-colored lines (lenticels).
Leaf
Simple, alternate on stem, length 3 to 4 inches and oblong, pointed, with finely toothed margins. Color is shiny green when fully grown, turning bright yellow in autumn.
Fruit (seed)
Drupe (cherry) is about 1/4 inch in diameter with thick, light red skin and thin, sour flesh surrounding oblong stone. Fruit is borne on long-stocked clusters that ripens in middle or late summer and can be used to make jellies.
Range
Common in woods throughout the state except in the southwestern portion. Often abundant in cutover lands, old fields, and along roadsides. Shade intolerant and fast growing.
Wood uses
Medium light, medium soft, brownish with yellowish sapwood. While pin cherry has no special commercial value, this hardy tree provides habitat and feeding ground for several songbirds and is especially suited for beautifying landscapes around homes.