Need opinion...can you identify this plant/tree in my yard?

[summers19]

This tree did produce berries this year. I never saw them in previous years. After several posts on this board, as well as going to various websites suggested by you guys, I think this tree is some form of black cherry tree? As of late summer, its leaves are tinged brown and it's not as full as it was in early summer.
Thanks for all of your suggesstions and replies!

[lilypad]

This looks very much like a butterfly bush to me, but if you have positively identified it as a cherry tree? Some nurseries will help you identify a plant if you take part of it to them. I did that when living in Portland, OR and Portland Nursery could always identify my specimen, and they were also helpful identifying types of soil, and bugs, etc.!!

[wit-nit]

Contact your local professional nurseryman or your State Agricultural Dept for identification and other stats.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Local horticulture commission should assist you in identifying your 'tree'. Or 4-H group if you have one. Local community college. Many places such as this should be able to help. Let us know if you find an answer....

[ShadowCaver]

For references, have used the following sites. Have also had sons for a summer project use these, along w/ books, to identify all the trees in our yard and surrounding fence line... still on-going project, lol...

Tree Identification
Plant Identification
What Tree Is It? HOME
Tree Identification (broken link)
Tree Identification Guide at arborday.org

[Roselvr]

Was gardenweb able to help you?

It is not a butterfly bush. We have these growing in NJ, I pull them out all of the time. It's a bush of some type, when I worked for a plant nursery we sold them, I'm almost positive it is some sort of Clethra, or the cherry laurel looks like a close match.

[Foodmuse]

Originally Posted by MO~orphan

I thought it looks like a butterfly bush/tree.

That was my first thought as well.

Muse

[pm352000]

Originally Posted by summers19

For the last three years we've had this plant/tree/weed in our yard. We haven't been able to identify it. What is this? It grew from out of nowhere.

these come in white, purple,yellow and pink.I have white & purple.they can get huge. in 4 years from a 1 gallon pot I planted them and they are 11 feet tall now . I keep triming them each year. the leaves fall off in the winter and when they bloom they attact butterflys also they have a faint scent.
hope that helps

[Westward]

Your biggest clue will be whether the leaves drop or not. If not, it's an evergreen Prunus. If they drop, it's a cherry of some sort, maybe Prunus virginiana - wild cherry. The reddish black fruit is tiny and juicy. Also, the leaves turn a fantastic brilliant red-orange in fall. It has a single grey trunk.

Evergreen Prunus (cherry laurel) shrub has several varieties that may have crossed to form the seed that dropped in your yard. (your plant does have the shape of a bush, and not a tree trunk) If it's grown that much already I'd say it's going to be large, and they do make nice trees if you prune them into several trunks rather than letting it grow bushy. You might want to move it to a spot where you can allow it to grow, if you wnat to keep it. I think some laurels get 45' and less wide. There are also 4' laurels. The fruits are useless on all that I've seen.

Chokecherry (tree) has a beautiful trunk, very reddish brown and shiny, with short white dashes. Boring yellow leaves fall in winter.

[HMcD]

I think that this is a Prunus laurent(something), commonly called Portugeuse Laurel or English Laurel, altho' the latter may have another name.

It is quite common in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where it is used for large hedges and can be shaped into a tree. It is evergreen and scatters seedlings like crazy in moist ground.